20/7/04
Racist graffiti was not only a social problem but also one that had a serious economic impact on Western Australia, Tourism Minister Bob Kucera said today.
“Western Australia’s tourism industry has been working hard to convince visitors that our State is a place where there were no strangers, only friends yet to be met,” Mr Kucera said.
“But every time racists daub their messages on our homes, businesses and through our community, they undermine the partnership between Government, industry and businesses to attract tourists.
“This partnership spends many millions of dollars each year on promoting WA as a safe and friendly place to visit.
“When racist attacks take place, our tourism operators feel a strong backlash from visitors, particularly in the Asian region, and WA is simply written-off as a holiday destination.
“Millions of dollars each year are potentially lost to the community because visitors turn away from this sickening graffiti - graffiti that is condemned by 99.9 per cent of our community.”
The Minister said everyone in the community had an obligation to dob-in senseless acts of vandalism and also provide any information that could potentially lead to the arrest of racists.
He said past examples of the most recent graffiti slur had received international coverage and these had undermined WA across the world.
“This is not just about paint on bricks, it is about the public face of WA in the international community,” Mr Kucera said.
“It has the capacity to cost us tourists, the money they spend here and the jobs they create.
“All of us have a civic duty to give police any information they might have, however small, to ensure these people are dealt with by police.”
Minister's office: 9213 7000
