Interactive urban art trail project reducing graffiti in Rockingham

The sPARK interactive urban art trail was made possible through a $50,000 grant the City secured through the WA Police State Graffiti Fund.

It is focused on combatting vandalism at three locations where graffiti regular occurred including Veterans Memorial Park (Port Kennedy Skate Park), the Baldivis Youth Space and the Safety Bay Foreshore.

Each location now features an interactive art mural that comes to life through the smartphone app EyeJack. Based on the artwork designs, each location also includes interactive filters on SnapChat that visitors can use when visiting the areas. These filters will be in place during each school holiday break throughout the year.

Artwork at the Baldivis Youth Space was the first to be completed in October 2020 and since then there have only been two incidents of graffiti removed by the City's Graffiti team.

Port Kennedy Skate Park, which in recent years has experienced significant levels of vandalism resulting in the temporary closure of some facilities, has only reported three incidents of graffiti since the artwork was completed in November 2021.

City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin said the project aimed to build the community's engagement with these locations in a positive manner.

"Communities that participate and have a strong sense of pride in the amenities and assets they use are much more likely to discourage and report anti-social behaviour like graffiti when it does occur," Mayor Hamblin said.

"Each mural aims to spread the message that 'Community Safety starts with you.' Since the sPARK project was launched the City has seen considerable improvements at these locations. We hope to see these trends continue well into the future and encourage residents to report incidents of graffiti.

"An aspiration in our Strategic Community Plan is growing and nurturing community connectedness and wellbeing, and key to this is youth development and involvement. The City collaborated closely with young people when it came to designing the artwork for these sites, and we thank them for their involvement. The City also gratefully acknowledges WA Police for the support provided through the WA Police State Graffiti Fund."

Superintendent Dom Wood, Community Engagement Division, WA Police Force, said WA Police Force was committed to working closely with Local Government Authorities and not-for-profit organisations to reduce incidents of graffiti vandalism in Western Australia.

"The WA Police Force welcomes collaborative partnerships, such as that with the City of Rockingham, to implement strategies to report, remove and prevent graffiti vandalism," Supt Wood said.