Street Sweeping - Cleaning Challenges

The Council's sweeping and cleaning service has evolved over many years by developing to meet the needs of the municipality. The introduction of new technologies has been fundamental in the industry to keep abreast of the need for efficient cleaning that is sensitive to the environment. The effect of this new technology on the cleansing service has introduced cleaner, safer, less noisy, practical and efficient cleansing practices.

However there remains extensive parts of the district where the use of mechanical cleansing equipment is inappropriate. This is due to the constraints of parked cars, the physical form of the gutters and channel, cross overs at driveways, traffic management devices, tree obstructions, a large grid of rights of way (the majority being of bluestone construction) and shopping centres.

The incidence of large deciduous street trees (mostly plane trees) which drop large quantities of leaves in autumn in many of these older streets and the extent of resident on-street parking have both influenced sweeping and cleansing practices. This highlights the need for non-mechanical cleaning of many areas where conventional mechanised street sweeping plant is of little use.

New initiative footpath sweeper (hand pushed)

In addition, overhanging tree branches and vegetation, particularly where these affect rights of way, are severe restrictions on cleansing activities. We need residents to co-operate by keeping them trimmed.

This municipal district has poor or very flat grades in kerb and channels and rights of way. This in turn increases the workload on Council to keep these particular areas clean. Poor channel alignments, non-uniformity of surface and the like may also dictate the preferred method of sweeping and cleaning.

Material such as whitegoods, garden waste, general rubbish and the like are often illegally dumped on Council controlled land, typically in rights of way. These instances are referred to Council enforcement officers for prosecution. The public can assist by reporting vehicle registration numbers of offenders.

Officers clear dumped rubbish from a laneway

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Further information

Access Yarra
Richmond Town Hall
333 Bridge Road Richmond
Telephone 9205 5555
Email info@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Links

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