Graffiti

Find out how we deal with graffiti and vandalism in Hutt City.

Keeping Lower Hutt beautiful

We maintain and beautify our urban areas by preventing and dealing with graffiti vandalism.

Graffiti vandalism impacts people's feelings of safety, property values and the well-being of our city. If graffiti isn't removed from public view soon after it appears, it becomes a magnet for more.

Council supports and promotes Urban Art initiatives to discourage graffiti around the city. These projects beautify our public spaces, support local artists and give people a legal outlet for urban painting.

  • Remove graffiti on your property – it’s your responsibility.
  • Remove graffiti within 24 hours – removing it quickly is one of the most effective ways to prevent further tagging. Be persistent.
  • Report graffiti vandalism in public areas as soon as you can. Our mobile removal programme will respond within 48 hours.
  • If you’re a property owner, make it harder to access to wall spaces by landscaping, planting or lighting
  • Encourage your neighbours to quickly remove graffiti from their properties.
  • Organise a community clean-up in your area.
  • Encourage your community to paint murals on graffiti-prone walls or fences.
  • Retailers – don’t sell spray cans to people under 18 (it’s against the law). Keep spray cans in covered displays and always ask for ID.

Report graffiti

Adopt a spot in your neighbourhood to keep it free of graffiti vandalism. This service is provided by Keep New Zealand Beautiful (not Council) and provides free tool kits for anyone wanting to keep an area of their neighbourhood graffiti-free. Kits include:

  • rags
  • spray bottle
  • remover solvent
  • paint
  • brush
  • roller gloves,
  • hat
  • hi-vis jacket.

Contact Keep New Zealand Beautiful to request a kit.

  • Remove graffiti as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours.
  • If you are removing graffiti for the first time, try different methods on a small area first to ensure you are not causing more damage. Try, in this order:
    • a detergent, such as dishwashing liquid.
    • a solvent such as paint thinner, methylated spirits, oven cleaner or branded graffiti removal products, such as Resene Graffiti Cleaner.
  • The chemicals in graffiti removal products can be hazardous, so always wear protective clothing including a mask. Store out of the reach of children.
  • Remove graffiti from an unpainted wall or fence by sanding or water blasting. Water blasting is very effective on unpainted surfaces. The smoother the surface the more easily it can be cleaned.
  • On unsealed porous surfaces such as brick, concrete and unpolished stone, complete removal of graffiti on the surface still leaves behind its indelible message.
  • Generally a painted wall is easier to keep graffiti free because any further tags can simply be painted over in the same colour as the original.
  • Protect the driveway and footpath from paint drips and spills when painting out tagging.
  • If graffiti has been painted over trees, rub the damaged areas with baking soda and rinse off thoroughly with water.
  • Paint your wall or fence in dark colours – colours that will cover in one coat, such as brown and green, are most effective but may not be suitable for some surfaces.
  • Chemical removal can be a particularly effective method of removing permanent markers or removing graffiti from steel surfaces.