The Glenorchy City Council has proposed a plan to remove graffiti from private properties for the first time, as part of an expanded program that includes new staff and specialised equipment worth thousands of dollars.
The council will vote on Monday to adopt an updated policy that significantly broadens its graffiti removal efforts beyond public assets.
Council officers removed 4,464 instances of graffiti between July 2024 and September 2025.
Under the proposed policy, council crews will be able to remove graffiti up to one metre down private driveways or laneways if it was applied from public land or is highly visible from arterial roads or the CBD.
The council may also step in when graffiti is “racist, obscene or offensive and removal is necessary to prevent public concern or anger” or when “it has been determined by council that the property owner does not have the resources to remove the graffiti”.
The initiative forms part of the council’s annual plan priority to roll out an upgraded city cleansing program, including targeted graffiti management.
Resources will include two new vehicles, one fitted with a pressure cleaner and additional contractor services. Three extra staff members will primarily focus on CBD areas.
The plan states that offensive graffiti will be removed within one working day, graffiti in high-profile areas within two days and other reports within four to seven days.
Property owners will remain legally responsible for removing graffiti under the Environmental Amenity By-law 2017, with council intervention on private land to occur only in select cases.
Daily patrols will cover the CBD areas of Moonah, Glenorchy and Claremont, as well as the Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park (GASP) precinct and nearby cycleways.
Hotspots identified through reporting systems will be inspected three times a week, council documents state.
The council also maintains a digital register of all graffiti on public property and shares photographic evidence with Tasmania Police to help identify repeat offenders.
