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                    Street cleaning, repairs and maintenance

                    Cleaners picking up rubbish in the city
                    You can report broken or overflowing bins, illegally dumped rubbish and street cleaning or maintenance issues in your neighbourhood using our online forms or by calling us.

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                    Report cleaning issues

                    You can use our online forms to report any issues with cleaning, bins and dumped waste in shared public spaces, streets and parks.

                    If there is any danger to the public or public space relating to a cleaning issue, please call us immediately on 03 9658 9658.

                    Report maintenance issues

                    You can also report issues related to street repairs or maintenance. City of Melbourne is responsible for:

                    • repairing potholes, cracks or uneven surfaces on roads, bike paths and footpaths
                    • responding to flooded roads if public drains are blocked
                    • keeping street furniture such as park benches, bollards and drinking fountains in good repair
                    • servicing street lighting in certain areas
                    • maintaining parking infrastructure including meters, line markings, signage and bike parking hoops.
                    If there is any danger to the public or public space, please call us immediately on 03 9658 9658.
                    Track the progress of an existing cleaning, dumped rubbish or maintenance request.
                    Enter report reference number:

                    ​Melbourne Clean Team  

                    ​​We have formed a new Melbourne Clean Team as part of a 12-week trial to keep our city sparkling clean. 

                    The team will be monitoring and working in two dedicated precincts, selected for its high density of hospitality, retail, foot traffic and tourism.   ​​

                    Precinct maps

                    Precinc​t one

                    ​​A map showing the borders of precinct one between Bourke and Lonsdale streets and Russel and Swanston street.

                    Precinct two

                    A map showing the borders of precinct two between Elizabeth and Russel streets and Flinders and Little Bourke Streets.

                    ​The precincts will be staffed from 7am to 7pm every day from early March and will keep the city clean by removing litter, collecting tree debris, spraying and wiping street furniture, deodorising, pressure washing high traffic areas and reporting any occupational health and safety issues.   ​

                    Following the trial, the program could be expanded. For more information, read our frequently asked questions​​.​

                    Frequently asked questions

                    How were these two precincts determined?

                    ​The two precincts were informed by City of Melbourne’s pedestrian data as areas of high foot and road traffic, retail and hospitality, tourism and service request for cleaning.  

                    How many officers will be on duty?  

                    ​Each precinct will be staffed and patrolled by one Melbourne Clean Team cleaner between the hours of 7am and 7pm each day. This includes auditors on site seven days a week, reporting issues. Cleaning services will operate seven days a week, 12 hours a day.  Pressure washing services will also be conducted in high traffic areas, once a month.  ​

                    Why is this only a three-month trial and not a permanent fixture to keep our city clean?

                    ​We want to ensure this model works and the precincts are chosen correctly before we form a case for budget deliberation and consideration. 

                    What will this trial look like? 

                    ​The Melbourne Clean Team will be a branded, continuous rolling service, with people on the ground 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for 12 weeks, reporting issues and cleaning. More than 10 new local jobs have been created for this trail. If you see members of our team, say hello and let them know of any issues you’ve noticed within the chosen precinct.   

                    What happens during the overnight hours when the Melbourne Clean Team is not on duty between 7pm and 7am?

                    ​The City​ Clean Team is still in action with our normal cleaning operations, such as mechanical sweeping, litter collections and high-pressure cleaning.  ​​

                    ​Rapid Response Clean Team

                    A new Rapid Response Clean Team is patrolling the CBD and responding in real time to requests for street cleaning and graffiti removal, to make our city sparkle. 

                    Keeping your neighbourhood clean

                    Residential streets are cleaned every week and those in the central city area are cleaned every day. High usage areas are cleaned many times a day.

                    We will remove or clean up:

                    • litter and rubbish
                    • rubble, dirt and silt
                    • oil or hazardous spills
                    • animal droppings, dead animals and dog waste
                    • weeds, leaves, small tree branches and pollen
                    • bodily wastes including faeces, blood and vomit
                    • illegally dumped commercial or domestic waste, including cigarette butts, milk crates, mattresses and hard waste.

                    To help keep streets free of litter, we’ve installed almost 450 solar smart bins, 2000 public litter bins and 500 cigarette butt bins around the City of Melbourne. These bins are provided in strategic locations for the general public to dispose of litter and recycling items. These bins should not be used for the disposal of household and commercial waste and recycling. Residents and businesses should use their own bins to dispose of waste and recycling material.

                    Residents can contact City of Melbourne to access our residential waste and recycling services. Businesses can visit commercial waste and recycling services to find out more.

                    Find out about how we're reducing litter.

                    Other issues in your neighbourhood?

                    Find out more about reporting issues relating to:


                    Hazardous spills and emergencies

                    Chemical spills

                    Chemical spills are dangerous to public safety and an environmental hazard and should be reported to:

                    • Emergency services on 000
                    • City of Melbourne Security Control Room (24 hours a day, 7 days per week) on 9658 9774 or 9658 9477.

                    Hazardous spills

                    Spills that are potentially life threatening or hazardous are managed under our Emergency Management Plan. To report a major spill, contact:

                    • Emergency services on 000
                    • City of Melbourne Security Control Room (24 hours a day, 7 days per week) on 9658 9774 or 9658 9477.

                    Burst water mains and broken fire hydrants

                    ​We are not responsible for emergency repairs on burst water mains and broken fire hydrants – please report these issues to the appropriate authorities.

                    • North of the Yarra: City West Water, phone: 13 26 42
                    • South of the Yarra: South East Water, phone: 13 28 12.
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