{"id":182227,"date":"2025-03-04T17:43:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T07:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=182227"},"modified":"2025-03-04T14:46:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T04:46:01","slug":"swan-hill-rural-city-council-broadcasts-classical-music-in-public-toilets-to-deter-loitering-vandalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=182227","title":{"rendered":"Swan Hill Rural City Council broadcasts classical music in public toilets to deter loitering, vandalism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In an effort to deter loitering and reduce opportunities for antisocial behaviour, a council in Victoria is piping out the likes of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at a public toilet block in its central business district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move by Swan Hill Rural City Council follows a noticeable spike in property damage at the busy facilities in recent months, prompting authorities to investigate proactive and creative solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council’s infrastructure director, Leah Johnston, said the vandalism had included “toilet rolls and soap dispensers being pulled off walls, extensive graffiti, fires and toilet seats being damaged”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“In 2023 we recorded about 10 incidents, but in 2024 we are already at 10 incidents. Therefore, we are seeing a trend that it is increasing,”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

she said.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Public toilets on McCallum Street in Swan Hill. (ABC News: Francesco Salvo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Crime data released last week showed the Swan Hill local government area reported 752 acts of property damage per 100,000 people last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The figure sat well above the state average of 509 incidents per 100,000 Victorians during the same reporting period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is a significant cost to our ratepayers to have to go out to sites and have them repaired, due to poor behaviour of a small number of individuals,” Ms Johnston said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council plans to trial the classical music initiative for six months before deciding whether it is continued or potentially expanded to other crime hotspots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Johnston said although it was still early days, the scheme appeared to be working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Since the music has been playing, which is now in the order of three to four weeks, we have seen a dramatic reduction [in antisocial behaviour],”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

she said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Classical music is played in London’s train stations at the discretion of staff. (AP: Alberto Pezzali)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Tchaikovsky on the Tube<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Playing classical music in public spaces to dissuade antisocial behaviour has been a tried-and-tested strategy used around the world for decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

London Underground authorities implemented the measure at Elm Park station on the District line in 2003 following similar schemes carried out by other UK rail operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During an initial 18-month trial, a significant reduction in crime was reportedly achieved, with vandalism offences decreasing by 37 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Australia, Sydney’s former Rockdale Council pioneered a new approach in 2006, playing the tunes of showman Barry Manilow on repeat<\/a> to move on carloads of unruly youths who were known to congregate at a beachfront car park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move gained world-wide attention and was replicated in other jurisdictions, becoming known as the “Manilow method”, even though musicians Frankie Laine, Nat King Cole and Doris Day were also on Rockdale’s playlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“[Manilow’s] early songs, that certainly worked,” then-deputy mayor Bill Saravinovski told the ABC at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Instead of getting 200 cars in a car park, we probably get about 100 now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We won’t get rid of them completely, but the initial reaction is it’s working because it gets to them psychologically.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Since the music has been playing, which is now in the order of three to four weeks, we have seen a dramatic reduction [in antisocial behaviour],”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":182230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,35,10871],"tags":[14498,8],"class_list":["post-182227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-breaking-news","category-vandalism","tag-swan-hill","tag-victoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t