‘Unfair burden’: Yarra City Council to stop maintaining major roads

Yarra City Council will no longer clean or maintain government-owned roads including Brunswick, Church, Johnston, Nicholson and Swan streets, arguing it is too expensive for ratepayers.

Yarra City Council will stop cleaning and maintaining major roads across its municipality, angering ratepayers amid claims the council will be neglecting one of its “most basic” duties.

The Greens-led council this month announced it would permanently cease all maintenance, including mowing and street sweeping, along state government-owned roads from July 1.

State government-owned or arterial roads in the City of Yarra include busy thoroughfares Alexandra Parade, Hoddle St and Punt Rd and popular strips Brunswick St, Church St, Johnston St, Nicholson St and Swan St.

Under a previous agreement, the state government allocated funds to Yarra City Council to maintain these roads.

But in a recent statement, Yarra City Council mayor Edward Crossland said the council had to address the “unfair burden of cost-shifting” after a months-long maintenance strike failed to pressure the state government into coughing up more cash.

Yarra City Council mayor Edward Crossland says the council needed to address the ‘unfair burden of cost-shifting’.

“For too long, the state government has been passing on the cost of maintaining their roads … to the Yarra community,” he said.

“We estimate that street sweeping, tree and weed management, grass cutting and litter management of state government-owned roads is costing Yarra ratepayers up to 10 times more than what the state government gives us to carry out these works.

“Despite working with the state government over several months, the council has been unable to negotiate a more equitable outcome for our ratepayers.”

He said, in another statement, that the state government has agreed to “take over maintenance” from July 1 as a result of the council’s decision.

“In most parts of Victoria, the state government is responsible for the maintenance of freeways, arterial roads and main roads,” he added.

The council will cease all maintenance, including mowing and street sweeping, along state government-owned roads from July 1. Picture: Chris Eastman

But Dean Hurlston, president of ratepayer advocacy group Council Watch, told the Sunday Herald Sun the council could be in breach of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act for palming off its responsibilities.

“Regardless of funding, there is a requirement under legislation that councils keep suburbs clean,” he said.

“I’m very confident that they are in breach of that legislation.

“Council Watch will have no hesitation taking the matter to the VCAT in the first instance.”

While he agreed that the state government should have allocated more funds to the council, he said “spitting the dummy” was not the solution.

“I never thought I’d see a council refuse (to do) the most basic expected service,” he said.

“The sanitation of a municipality is probably the core responsibility that affects everybody.

“If you’re not going to do it, what are you there for?”

Council Watch president Dean Hurlston says councils are required by legislation to keep suburbs clean. Picture: Kiel Egging

Independent councillor Stephen Jolly said the council abrogating its responsibilities was akin to Pontius Pilate “washing his hands”.

He added that the council should have “waged a massive campaign” if it wanted the state government to come to the table.

“This area has had many examples where we’ve waged and lobbied and campaigned against the government and had success,” he said.

A state government spokesperson said the arterial roads “will be maintained in line with our responsibilities under the Road Management Act”.

The Sunday Herald Sun understands the Department of Transport and Planning is working with the council to ensure there is a smooth transition as it takes over maintenance.

The council has agreed to deliver a biannual street sweeping service along the arterial roads, but the department has not confirmed whether it will deliver a regular street sweeping service as the arrangements are yet to be finalised.

But Yarra Residents Collective founder Adam Promnitz said it was a “bad look” no matter the result, comparing the council and the state government to parents “in the middle of a messy divorce”.

“It’s like mum and dad are arguing over who’s going to pay the school fees,” he said.