Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

EDITORIAL - Outpouring of support to tackle tagging

Northern Advocate
14 Dec, 2007 04:56 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

EDITOR, LAURA FRANKLIN
No sooner had the suggestion been made than the calls started coming in: Inspired by the depth of public feeling aroused by our series of stories on graffiti vandalism in Whangarei, we floated the idea of holding a community action day to bring people together in a practical,
hands-on way to say "no" to the tagging that drags down our city's image.
The offers were quick to flow in, and tomorrow (weather permitting) the plan will come to fruition. Anyone who feels able to offer a couple of hours of their time is welcome to meet us inside the Bunnings carpark from 10am. All help will be gratefully received. Bring a roller and be ready to paint some of the city's most badly tagged fences.
The aim is to tidy up one small corner of town ... not in the naive hope that it will never be tagged again, but rather in a "first step" toward reviving pride in our environment, a united effort that will allow a neighbourhood to take positive action against the problem.
When the idea arose, we wondered whether the council, local businesses and residents would respond.
Well, respond they emphatically did.
Whangarei District Council quickly came to the party with funds, offers of labour and organising a huge donation from Resene's community project: 500 litres of recycled paint.
Bunnings offered plenty of help and materials. The Smeaton Drive Community Group, and their dynamic leader Kim Anderson, were quick to put in the man- and woman-power that would make a difference to their neighbourhood.
Cowley's Hire offered free use of spray-painting equipment, The Pulse and the D'Tag anti-tagging workers were involved right from the start, LJ Hooker donated the use of a marquee, Whangarei Police agreed to help out, Pak n Save and the Aussie Butcher came to the party with food and drink for the workers. The Chamber of Commerce lent its support, and Whangarei South Rotary offered its services. Manaia View School and First Take Krew volunteered to provide entertainment. Individual businesses, paint contractors and others have all offered support and donations. The community spirit has been incredible.
Now, we're praying for fine weather and plenty of willing hands to hold paintbrushes.
Tomorrow's action day won't end tagging in Whangarei, or even in this neighbourhood - though the plan is to equip residents with paint kits so they keep the fence graffiti-free.
But it is a start. And it's a chance for a community to take back its pride.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

News in brief: Kate Donley joins Kerikeri Retirement Village board

06 Jun 05:00 PM
Northern Advocate

Northland doctor highlights pay dispute and staffing crisis in EDs

06 Jun 05:00 PM
Opinion

Opinion: The poplar prophecy came true – 15 years later

06 Jun 05:00 PM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

News in brief: Kate Donley joins Kerikeri Retirement Village board

News in brief: Kate Donley joins Kerikeri Retirement Village board

06 Jun 05:00 PM

The latest news bites from around the region.

Northland doctor highlights pay dispute and staffing crisis in EDs

Northland doctor highlights pay dispute and staffing crisis in EDs

06 Jun 05:00 PM
Opinion: The poplar prophecy came true – 15 years later

Opinion: The poplar prophecy came true – 15 years later

06 Jun 05:00 PM
Opinion: Building community connections in sport and recreation

Opinion: Building community connections in sport and recreation

06 Jun 05:00 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP