A Banksy street work has been daubed by council workers in Melbourne, the ‘street art capital of Australia’.

The parachuting rat, located behind the Forum Theatre in Hosier Lane – where there are currently five approved street art sites – was outside of the preservation areas. It is thought to be the city’s last remaining Banksy work.

Speaking in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, the CEO of Melbourne City Council, Kathy Alexander, said the council should have acted to preserve all known Banksy works.

A couple of the reader comments on the Sydney Morning Herald article offer suggestions how such a kerfuffle could be avoided in future. These include a freephone number to call if you see a Banksy, Haring, Twist or Doyle being buffed, and the council sticking to cleaning up McDonald’s wrappers and letting national heritage organisations decide what should be preserved.

Another reader comment offers an alternative point of view:

Graffiti isn’t art, it’s vandalism. Big deal, he uses stencils. Oh wow, how artistic. Sandblast the crap off the walls and send the bill to him. What? Can’t find him? Funny about that. He knows what people do to vandals.

Photo by Dark Orange