PORT Macquarie's CBD looked a lot better on Monday after the Graffiti Blasters eliminated the tags from the old Food For Less building.
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The former supermarket building, owned by Woolworths, has fallen into disrepair since the other businesses moved on and Food For Less closed on April 4, 2012.
It has been the target of many vandals who have left ugly graffiti over all of the building's walls.
With the Ironman 70.3 this weekend and summer holiday makers heading into town, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council sent the Graffiti Blasters out to paint over the offending tags.
Five volunteers on the Graffiti Blasters squad set to work at 7am on Monday equipped with 20 litres of paint donated by Dulux.
The squad comes under council's Place Making team and "do a fantastic job in removing graffiti across the Part Macquarie-Hastings area", a spokesman for council said.
"They are currently removing graffiti from the old Food for Less building and, as we are expecting many visitors to our region over the coming months, it is necessary to clean up this high profile site which is located on a gateway to the CBD," he said.
Volunteer John McDonald said many people had commented to the volunteers on Monday.
"People passing by have been getting stuck into the graffiti taggers and Woolworths for letting it get so bad," Mr McDonald said.
It took he and his fellow volunteers four and a half hours to paint over the graffiti which was all over the building.
To report graffiti and graffiti crimes, please send an email to council in confidence (with locations and photos where possible) to council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au
You can also call council on 6581 8111 or make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
To volunteer as part of the Graffiti Blasters team contact council's volunteer coordinator on 6581 8111.