Paint spray cans may be banned to stop graffiti
September 16, 2007 12:00am

The sale of paint spray cans could be outlawed across New South Wales in an attempt to tackle graffiti vandalism which generates an annual $100 million clean-up bill.

The NSW Attorney General, John Hatzistergos, has launched an urgent review of legislation surrounding graffiti vandalism and said that a total ban on spray cans may be the only answer.

Graffiti costs local councils millions to remove with Sydney City alone spending up to $3 million a year to clean up in the CBD.

"Last year the Government set up the NSW Anti-Graffiti Action Team to drive new measures to reduce graffiti," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"One of our election commitments was that the AGAT would review all relevant legislation and examine the possibility of a total ban on spray paints."

The action group includes the owners of buildings frequently targeted by graffiti bandits - including Energy Australia, Telstra and Sydney Water.

The review comes after strict rules restricting the display of the products failed to deter graffiti bandits.

But retailers claim a ban would be too extreme, saying graffiti artists would simply turn to other products.