DETERMINED community members have banded together to clean up one of Creswick’s most historic buildings that has become an eyesore.
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The British Hotel – which has not opened its doors in more than seven years – is boarded up and covered in graffiti.
Creswick Neighbourhood Centre employees were fed up with the constant graffiti tagging by bored teenagers.
Creswick’s Chantel Leaver said around a dozen Creswick locals had dedicated their Saturday to cleaning up the building.
“You come into Creswick and the British Hotel is one of the first things you see,” Ms Leaver said. “Our choice was we could let it rot away, or we could do something about it and get up and make a change.”
Creswick neighbourhood Centre donated many of the tools, including and paint brushes.
“Everyone really wanted to make a difference,” Ms Leaver said.
Ms Leaver said the group hoped the owners of the hotel could see how much the building meant to community members.
She urged the owners to do something so it could be enjoyed by all. “So many people have great memories of the venue when it was open – we’d love it to be open again,” Ms Leaver said.
Teenager Asher Kuhn, 14, was manning the graffiti removal kit.
He was one of the volunteers painting, removing graffiti and cutting back blackberry bushes.
“I decided to it to keep the town clean and make it look better,” Asher said.
The idea was instigated by Kate Moran who felt the town needed community support.
Ms Leaver said the effort put in by volunteers showed the strength of Creswick’s community.
Creswick resident and RSL secretary Phil Carter said the deteriorated building was a constant embarrassment for the community.
“It’s disgraceful that a heritage listed building has been allowed to get into such a state of disrepair,” Mr Carter said.
Mr Carter called for more stringent rules on keeping privately owned properties.
He said those who allowed the buildings to rot should face harsher penalties.
“Clearly there has to be (greater penalties),” Mr Carter said.
“Council has said that because it is privately owned there is not much it can do,” he said.
Earlier this year member for Rippon Louise Staley said the best way to deter graffiti was to refer it as quickly as possible.
“It’s not as rewarding for the perpetrator if they can’t see their handiwork,” Ms Staley said.
