There’s no denying that the “Lego” house, on the corner of Arthur Street and the New England Highway at Rutherford, sticks out like a sore thumb and is an issue West Ward councillor Henry Meskauskas is reminded of every day.

“Everyday without fail someone either mentions it to me, rings me about it or I drive past it,” he said.

“It’s an absolute eyesore, a haven for graffiti and if it’s knocked down tomorrow I won’t be losing any sleep over it.”

The display home built by Anambah Constructions has been the target of graffiti since the project was complete several months, possibly a year ago.

A spokesperson for Anambah Constructions said the house is due to be completed early in the new year.

“We have had to prioritise our resources for our clients so their homes can be completed by Christmas,” the spokesperson said.

“People ask me what the ugly monstrosity on the highway is – I get some comment about it every day of the week,’ Cr Meskauskas said.

“It’s out of place and an embarrassing first image sitting on a main entry point to the city.”

The red, black, grey and white two-storey construction is surrounded by brick homes, many built in the 50s and 60s.

“More planning should have gone into this and council should have insisted the colour scheme was more in keeping with the surrounding area,”Cr Meskauskas said.

“Because it has been vacant for so long, and I don’t know what the owner’s intentions are with this property, it has been left open to vandalism, graffiti and I wouldn’t be surprised if the windows are the next target.” 

He said Rutherford business operators who have had problems with graffiti at Rutherford Shopping Centre in the past, said the incidence of graffiti seems to have dropped off.

Fairfax Media reported earlier this week how a series of new murals have breathed new life into vandalised walls and fences at Compass Housing’s Churchill Crescent housing complex in Rutherford. 

The three colorful murals were unveiled on on Monday, which were funded by through the NSW Government’s Social Housing Community Improvement Fund (SHCIF).

Compass Housing’s tenant engagement officer Melissa Hope said young people in the area had been engaged with the art project, and the aim was to make the area “graffiti proof”.

“The swift removal of graffiti is imperative because leaving tags on buildings is just an incentive for the offenders to gloat about it – setting a precedent for other similar offences,” Cr Meskauskas said.