General News
6 May, 2026
Kids miss out due to vandals
COSTLY vandalism is denying ratepayers grassroots improvements to their suburbs and streets.
The latest Cairns Regional Council report shows that year-to-date at the end of March the cost of vandalism and graffiti had soared to $544,000.
Cr Matthew Tickner (Div. 2) said month on month, there had been an escalation in vandalism graffiti, with the cost to ratepayers now hitting over $500,000.
“Half a million dollars is two or three new playgrounds, it’s the intersection we wanted to upgrade or the new fenced dog park our local community have been asking for,” he told this week’s council meeting.
Cr Tickner said instead it was spent on fixing broken fences, replacing electrical blocks being pulled apart and removing graffiti from walls.
“And this issue is a direct extension of the crime issues we are facing,” he said.
“And clearly, by our numbers, we have not seen a drop in this type of activity occurring.
“So, I do believe as a council, we’re still operating under the broken window theory, which I think one of the Bretts (councillors Moller or Olds) may have mentioned in our last meeting.
“Visible signs of disorder, such as broken windows and graffiti, are rectified as quickly as possible … it’s our way to ensure we don’t create an environment that encourages further crime and anti-social behavior.”
Cr Tickner thanked council crews across the region who get out and rectify these issues, “often faster than we actually hear about them”.
“It’s often on the back end, the crews have gone past, they’ve seen that and they’ve got out and done the work, which is great,” he said.
“So, unfortunately, operating like this does come at a cost to ratepayers and it’s extremely unfortunate that it doesn’t seem to be declining. It seems to be increasing.
“Sometimes, I know, in the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a big uptick in graffiti and tagging.
“I know division three recently had the same someone making their way south, but I did just want to, as we do most months, highlight those vandalism figures and I really hope to see them improve over the next six months, 12 months.”
