I am a resident of the City of Melbourne, VIC, Australia, where I believe creativity thrives, yet is stifled by the city council. As inhabitants, we contribute significantly to the vibrant, creative culture that makes Melbourne a beloved destination, yet the council has long ignored this intrinsic part of our shared identity. 

Specifically, I am addressing the issue of hoardings around trees across our city - they've been confined to being mere barriers or protective wooden structures. However, this mindset drastically limits the potential of these seemingly insignificant spaces.

 Just imagine, these hoardings could be transformed into accessible legal art spaces that allow us citizens to express creativity without limitations or boundaries. That is, as long as the expression doesn't promote racism or contains offensive material.

It would also lead to significant savings for the council because they wouldn't have to pay exorbitant rates to the buff people. 

We, the residents of Melbourne, deserve to participate freely in defining our city's aesthetic. Let's allow art to bloom everywhere, even on the wooden hoarding around our city's trees.

Sign this petition today to demand the City of Melbourne to legalise using tree hoardings as creative art spaces, allowing all to express, respect and appreciate the vibrant diversity we harbour. Become the voice of creativity that cannot be stifled.

Bonus thoughts / Personal reasons as asked for by Change

This petition was started primarily because one of the politicians who wants to be the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne commenced their media campaign to be mayor by announcing he was "triggered" and "traumatised" by the tagging and graffiti in the city. 

As well as making a mockery of the words, he stated some things that weren't true in his publicity launch, as well as complaining about the cost of cleaning up tagging and how it was too much. 

Soon after, the City of Melbourne's Instagram account started a new campaign to ask the public to report graffiti. It's examples of graffiti included things done in chalk on the hoardings. In response to my asking why it was illegal to use the hoardings for art, some random responded "Make a petition then", and so here we are. 

It just seems like these hoardings could easily be used by the public for creative art purposes. It would save the council money because they wouldn't have to pay exorbitant rates to have it painted black constantly. I'm sure the community would be happy to paint over anything offensive or racist that appears - it would be legal to do so, and that's what happens in Collingwood or Fitzroy when racist stuff appears, so why wouldn't it happen elsewhere? 

It sure seems strange to require a petition to change something that the people of Melbourne were probably never consulted about, nor required a petition to occur. Like many of the decisions made by the council, it feels they sometimes prioritise the people who make money from who live and visit here, rather than the residents and visitors of the city.