Sydney artist Osvaldo Budet has hit back at Maitland City Council after it placed a warning sign in front of his artwork examining the racial legacy of the century-old “Jocko Graves” statue on Maitland’s High Street. Budet responded by erecting his own temporary warning sign beside the statue, arguing the council’s intervention was stifling public debate. The dispute has sparked wider discussion in the community about the statue’s history and council involvement in artistic exhibitions. Richard King spoke with Maitland Mayor Philip Penfold about the controversy.