City of Melbourne to spend $60m to clean up CBD
A record $60.9m will be spent to scrub graffiti off walls and install safety cameras in a push to clean up Melbourne’s CBD.
Victoria
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More cleaners will take to Melbourne’s streets to rid the CBD of graffiti and limit waste as part of a record council spend to clean up the city.
The City of Melbourne will also spend millions of dollars on new security cameras and lighting upgrades in a bid to crack down on crime and boost safety.
In its draft budget, announced on Tuesday, the council has pledged a record $60.9m to improve safety and cleanliness around the city – an extra $2.9m compared to last year.
This includes $5.7m to install seven new CCTV cameras in Carlton, including at Lygon St and Argyle Square, as part of the council’s Safe City Program, and upgrades to lighting around key city precincts such as Bourke St Mall.
After the council scrubbed off more than 140,000 square metres of illegal graffiti last year, it will spend nearly $2.7m to crack down on vandalism.
The council will splash nearly $37m all up on cleaning efforts, including $4m to expand the Melbourne Clean Team with increased street sweeping and pressurised cleaning of footpaths, roads and benches.
Launched in March, the Clean Team targets mess in the city’s busiest areas every day, with the council planning to extend the initiative to surrounding neighbourhoods.
About $1.5m has been committed to help remove rubbish from around the CBD, Southbank and Docklands, while the council plans to spend $28m on waste collection.
More than $1.1m has been promised to ensure rough sleepers access to food, healthcare and support services.
The council has also pledged $12m in partnership with the state government and philanthropic organisations to support rough sleepers through its Make Room project, which will see a council-owned building at Little Bourke St converted into temporary accommodation.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said investing in “a clean, safe and inclusive city is paramount” for the future of the CBD. The final budget is expected to be adopted in June.
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