Dion Keepa reckons tagging is "stupid".
The 11-year-old, who has volunteered his time during the school holidays to paint over tagging around Rotorua, wants to be a graffiti artist, something he sees as being totally different to straight-out tagging.
He said graffiti art was more creative and artistic and people liked
it. Tagging was "not very nice" and "stupid".
Dion has been helping local graffiti buster Ants Haines, who is employed by the Rotorua District Council, to paint over tagging around the city.
Mr Haines reckons the youngster had been a great help.
"Dion's been great. He is a good helper.
"There is a big difference between tagging and graffiti art. Kids need to find a place where they are allowed to do graffiti art and stop tagging people's houses."
Mr Haines said education about tagging was essential.
"Kids these days just think it is cool to go and tag someone's house but graffiti art is part of the hip hop culture - tagging isn't."
Young people would not stop tagging but might do it less if they had a place where they were allowed to do it.
Dion said he wouldn't tag someone else's house because he wouldn't like anyone to tag his house.
"It's not very nice." Christine Findon of Keep Rotorua Beautiful said it was great to see Dion being productive during the school holidays.
"It's good that he knows the difference between tagging and graffiti art.
Ngongotaha shop owner Sailesh Patel of Ngongotaha 4 Square has said he would put a large board on his shop front for taggers to express themselves, rather than having them deface the township.
His invitation followed last weekend's "bombing" of Ngongotaha with red spraypaint.
One of the buildings tagged was the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat for families of seriously unwell children which had just been painted before the taggers struck.
