Grinning Mike Baird cops online abuse as he promotes Graffiti Removal Day

Scott Marsh paints a mural of NSW Premier Mike Baird holding a kebab and glass of wine surrounded by poker chips in Sydney in April. Photo: Cole Bennetts/Getty Images

Armed with colourful sponges and paint brushes, thousands of volunteers took to the streets to clean up graffiti on homes and public buildings on Sunday. 

Organised by the NSW government, the annual Graffiti Removal Day encourages communities to tackle graffiti vandalism, which costs the state more than $100 million a year. 

In promoting the event, Premier Mike Baird posted a photo of himself to Facebook pointing at a street painting, which depicts him smiling while holding a cigarette and a glass of Penfolds Grange, next to a pile of casino chips.

Mr Baird's caption read, "Did you know that NSW has an official 'graffiti removal day'? Well, it does. And it's today. Just saying." 

The street painting, created by Sydney artist Scott Marsh in Chippendale in April, was in fact removed several weeks ago. 

The post attracted a lot of attention on social media and has received nearly 2000 comments on Facebook, such as by user Lyn Watts who wrote: "That's not graffiti - that's art." 

Her comment prompted a swift reply from the Premier, who wrote: "Agreed Lyn Watts. Presumably the feeling isn't mutual, but I reckon Scott Marsh has got some pretty serious talent."

And indeed, several hours later Marsh shared the photo with a different caption: "Hey Mike Baird, Do you know that NSW will have a 'Removal of current Premier day'?? Its called next election". 

According to Marsh, the artwork was intended to critique the controversial Sydney lockout laws upheld by the state government.  

"The lockout is something that's really having a negative impact on Sydney, and people are really enjoying this mural because it's kind of painting what everyone is thinking," Marsh told ABC Radio in April.

"It probably hits every point that I could think of that annoys me about Baird, essentially," he said.  

"So it's got Mike Baird basically [eating] a kebab, at the casino, after 1.30 - which is the lockout - and enjoying a few rare pinots."

More than 2000 volunteers attended the annual graffiti clean-up on Sunday to restore vandalised buildings, fences and walls at 450 sites across NSW, ranging from Bondi to Moree.

Nearly 21,000 square metres of graffiti were expected to be removed throughout the day by community volunteers, local Rotary Clubs, Scouts, and Girl Guides.

NSW Chief Superintendent Brad Shepherd, said vandalism continued to pose an ongoing challenge for police.

"Each year police charge hundreds of people over graffiti-related offences that cost the government and local businesses millions of dollars each year," Chief Superintendent Shepherd said.

"In recent years, reports of graffiti-related incidents have fallen, which is a promising sign. However, it's important we continue to support campaigns like Graffiti Removal Day that can have a significant impact," he said.