The Burnie City Council has invested around $400,000 in a new “compact street cleaning vehicle” to tackle perceptions of a lack of cleanliness in the CBD.
Council General Manager Simon Overland told Pulse the street sweeper will be used to clean pavements by shooting out high-pressure water jets from underneath.
“Cleanliness of our CBD was a major theme that the community told us was important to them through the development of Making a Better Burnie 2044,” he said.
“In fact, this now forms part of the council’s Four-Year Plan 2024-2027.”
Overland acknowledged that the council did not have the resources to undertake a “consistent and prolonged clean-up” of the city using “traditional labour resources”.
“Therefore, in 2023, we commissioned a section of footpath to be cleaned to a similar standard in Upper Burnie at a cost of $13,000, or $37 a metre,” he said.
“We have 5.3 kilometres of footpath in our CBD, so to have contractors undertake these works would be in the vicinity of $200,000 – and 15-weeks’ work, for one clean – and that is for the CBD alone.”
The new machine was purchased following discussions with other Council’s that utilise the same equipment.
The street sweeper is ideal for paths and traffic islands and is equipped with high pressure jets under the unit for cleaning pavements.
