Buildings such as the Forster Tuncurry Presbyterian Church on Bruce Street, Boronia Park, several council signs at Bulahdelah and along the Pacific Highway and entrance signs to Sporties at Tuncurry were all targeted with spray paint and permanent markers.

Vandals also besieged several residential properties in Forster including garage doors and parked cars and damaged a picnic table area in Nabiac.    

Local Graffiti Buster Ted Bickford said it is one of the worst hits he has seen in many years with 81 tags left on buildings.  

“It’s a bad hit. It’s one of the worst I’ve seen in the last few years,” he said. 

“Despite all of this, we are on top of it. Our system is working beautifully but you can’t take it for granted. 

“People cannot become completely complacent. Yes, we’ve got a system that works but we aren’t immune. All it takes is one person to come in here and in one day destroy the place.” 

It took about two-and-a-half weeks for Mr Bickford and a group of young volunteers to remove the graffiti from across the region.  

He estimated the damage would cost thousands of dollars but thanks to the work of volunteers that cost is fractioned. 

“It’s not clear who did this; if it was locals or visitors,” he said. 

“But the best thing locals can do is report any trace of graffiti directly to me so I can remove it. If no one tells me then I can’t always know where it is happening.”