New street sweeper fleet to keep Canberra clean - The Canberra Times

A new generation of state-of-the-art ACT Government street sweepers have hit roads across Canberra. Photo: Katherine Griffiths

They suck up dead birds, beer bottles, house bricks and even snakes.

They are a little considered but essential part of keeping Canberra's streets clean, especially in the older, leafier suburbs.

Canberra's new five-strong fleet of street sweepers has begun work, greener, quieter and with stronger suction than before.

And, reckons driver Neil Freer, that should mean happier ratepayers in a city where street sweepers play a vital role.

''In Canberra there is a lot more debris that we sweep up. We get sticks and all kinds of stuff that people rake out onto the kerb,'' Mr Freer said.

''People are impatient, but they love a clean street, especially in the older suburbs where a lot of leaves fall down. ''

Director of Roads ACT, Tony Gill, said the upgraded fleet, unveiled on Thursday, was much more environmentally friendly and efficient.

Previously, the sweepers covered 17,000 kilometres of road each year but the new fleet's capacity for 20,000 kilometres will help meet the needs of a growing city.

''As new suburbs come online we can respond to the business pressure, and in other locations we can deliver a more frequent program,'' Mr Gill said.

''One of the issues with street sweeping can be the impact of noise.''

He said the quieter running sweepers with larger rubbish storing capacity meant operators would spend less time going back and forth from tip sites.

''It will save costs over time,'' Mr Gill said, ''as well as having less impact on the environment and residents.''

Mr Freer said while sweeping Canberra's streets he and colleagues have had snakes, dead wildlife and all matter of things sucked up by the sweepers.

''Probably picked up dead birds or whatever, yeah, it would pick up a brick, beer bottles, stuff like that straight up,'' Mr Freer said.

The task of keeping the streets to which Canberrans to have become accustomed continues for drivers like Mr Freer. ''It's the same work as we always do,'' he said. ''They are quieter than what they used to be.''