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MEDIA ADVISORY
21 March 2011

'Spruce up' blitz for Cuba Mall

Wellington City Council workers will be in Cuba Mall from 7am to 2pm today helping to 'spruce up' and remove graffiti in the mall and the Left Bank.

Council CitiOperations Manager Mike Mendonca says with increasing amounts of graffiti in the area and a record number of visitors expected for Rugby World Cup 2011 a blitz on graffiti is well overdue.

"Our crews will do more than their usual cleaning on targeted areas. They will be blasting away dirt, removing graffiti and stickers, touching up paint and improving the look of gardens and street furniture. The main clean up will be today but we will be finishing things up throughout the week.

"Council crews usually only work in public spaces, but the spruce-up will also see us working with private building owners."

With support from the Police, the Council staff will also be giving out clean-up kits to retailers containing graffiti remover, sponges and brushes and an information brochure with tips on how to continue to keep their premises clean.

"We want to encourage retailers to keep their premises clean on an on-going basis after we leave and keep it looking great and feeling safe for both residents and visitors."

Mr Mendonca says agreement has also been reached with property owners to block a private accessway from the Left Bank to Ghuznee Street. This is expected to reduce opportunities for further vandalism in the area.
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