South Auckland taggers beware. The Manukau City Council has been given the green light from New Zealand’s parliament on a new graffiti bill designed to clean up the city.
The Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill was passed at its third reading with a huge majority of support from parties across the political spectrum in New Zealand’s Parliament. This is despite the select committee charged with overseeing it, not supporting the passing of the bill. A national bill is already in place after being pushed by government, but this new regional bill for Manukau (south Auckland) now gives more power to authorities to combat tagging.
The votes were: Ayes were 109 votes including Labour (49); National (48); NZ First (7); United Future (2); Progressive (1); T.P.Field (1); and G. Copeland (1); Noes were 11 including Green (6); Maori (3); and Act (2).
Opposition from the ACT party, Greens and Maori was based in part to their belief that the tagging problem was rooted in other areas such as poverty and social alienation. One MP described the bill as close to “apartheid in South Africa.”
But Labour MP Su’a William Sio says, “When Manukau City Council put the stake in the ground and asked this Government to support this Bill through the Hon. George Hawkins, this Labour-led Government accepted this call because it understands what good and strong leadership is about.”
“The Government immediately engaged with Manukau City Council, it listened, it considered, and then it acted swiftly and deliberately to support this Bill.”
“I want to acknowledge this Government for supporting this Bill, for the launch of the Stop Tagging Our Place (STOP) strategy, for its willingness to listen, to engage & to understand the aspirations & needs of the community of Manukau.”
“I acknowledge there are concerns raised by some in this House with particular reference to young people. I want to assure those members this Bill is not aimed at curbing the artistic & creative talents of our young people. Aerosol art and the creative talents of our young people are not at issue here. Manukau, is the land of the young, the beautiful and the gifted and we want all our young people to aim high.”
“The Bill in many ways will raise the standard for our young people. It will reinforce & give strength to the work that the community already do now. It will allow for penalising of graffiti offenders and provides the council with powers to remove graffiti on private property, and control the sale of spray paint in the City.”
The bill gives the council statutory power to: Regulate the display of spray paint in shops and its sale to minors, create offences specifically covering graffiti; and remove graffiti on private property if it is visible from a public place.
