Four additional members of staff and an extra $200,000 for contractors to address graffiti and rubbish removal have got the green light by Hume City councillors in what’s been termed a ‘blitz on graffiti’.
The additional positions are expected to be cost neutral due to anticipated offsets from enforcement revenue. The $200,000 allocation for contractors would be incorporated into the council’s waste and sustainability budget.
While implementing a full blitz program across city was costed at approximately $1.5m-a-year, officers told councillors a more targeted interim approach would be best – and they agreed.
This will allow council to gather further data and evidence to either support the current strategy or move toward a broader neighbourhood amenity program in the future.
Officers also noted that proactive identification and resolution of issues could lead to fewer requests from members of the public, thereby improving response times.
Feedback received by council indicated the community perceives current efforts to improve local amenity as insufficient.
A further update on the effectiveness of the proposed measures is scheduled to be reported to council in 12 months’ time.
