It was commissioned to promote Graffiti Removal Day, a state government initiative which has been running since 2012.
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This year, 3000 volunteers have registered to remove illegal graffiti from 600 sites across the state.
Mr Fitzsimmons, who was the NSW Australian of the Year nominee this year, was chosen for because of his work in coordinating volunteers with the RFS, particularly during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
“I will forever be grateful to the volunteers who stood up to be counted during the worst bushfire season we’ve ever had. We saw courage and commitment from volunteers who continually put the wellbeing of their community before themselves,” he said at the ceremony last week.
Street artists expressed confusion about using a mural to promote Graffiti Removal Day on social media last week. In an apparent reference to the initiative some of the vandalising text painted last week read: “Mural removal day.”
The line was not present on the graffiti discovered on Wednesday morning.
RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd told Ben Fordham on 2GB said the ongoing vandalism was “pathetic, really”.
“What they’re doing is disrespectful not just to Shane, but to all of the volunteers throughout the fire season and also Sid [Tapia], the artist,” he said on Wednesday morning.
Graffiti Removal Australia chair Bob Aitken told The Sydney Morning Herald last week the initiative celebrates “street art that brings people together and makes the community proud”.
“We support more legal mural walls that give young artists space to express their creativity safely,” Mr Aitken said. “This is different to graffiti vandalism, which costs the NSW community over $300 million each year in clean-up costs.”
with Jenny Noyes
