Fight against offensive graffiti ramps up

The City of Melbourne has increased its efforts to combat offensive graffiti in the city after announcing a new clean city services contract this month.

The contract, signed by Spotless and Calcorp, will run for five years with the potential for extension.

Under this contract, a 24-7 graffiti removal service will be carried out with plans to respond to reports of offensive graffiti within an hour, down from two hours.

The new arrangement also aims to improve targeted hotspot pressure washing in busy laneways, increasing the frequency from five days a week to daily.

To achieve this goal, the council plans to increase its fleet of electric vehicles, from two to six, allowing crews to get to affected areas quickly.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said that council was ramping up its efforts more than ever.

“We’re supercharging our cleaning efforts like never before – with boots on the ground twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,” she said.   

The new service also comes with environmental targets – increasing non potable water usage, diverting waste from landfill, and reducing emissions.

It will reduce annual fuel consumption by more than 100,000 litres, which is equivalent to 265 tonnes of greenhouse emissions per year.

The council has more than doubled its budget for clean city services compared to 10 years ago – spending $97 million from 2021 to 2024.

In the last year, it has also cleared more than 112,000 square metres of graffiti, and collected 1568 tonnes of dumped rubbish, a 32 per cent increase from the previous year.

The council’s city transport, infrastructure and operations deputy portfolio lead Cr Davydd Griffiths emphasised the importance of a clean city.

“We know how important a clean city is to create a safe and welcoming environment,” he said.

“While our clean teams will be working non-stop, we want Melburnians to take pride in their city and do their part – cleaning up after themselves and reporting issues so we can take care of them quickly.”  

Melburnians are encouraged to report cleaning and graffiti via the City of Melbourne website, or by calling 9658 9658.