Melbourne is one of the most popular and highly rated cities in Australia. On the most recent ranking it landed as the number 1 best city to live in within Australia. And the 10th in the world. It scored nearly perfect on quality of education and healthcare. And also scored extremely high for culture and sanitation.

But this last point has come under some scrutiny in recent years. While the major press isn’t openly talking about it, there are a lot of claims that Melbourne is currently facing a serious sanitation crisis. Spurred on by a number of different issues that are quickly compounding into a tidal wave of health and safety issues. But just how much truth is there to all of these claims?

The Cleanaway Sell Off

Back in June the city of Melbourne finalized the sale of its waste management services to Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd. For a staggering $110 million Dollars no less. Deals like this aren’t uncommon in huge cities. It allows the city to focus their funding and efforts on other infrastructure demands.

The deal will see the Dynon Rd waste transfer station completely overhauled making it more community focused and efficient. A lot of the money from this deal will be put into the new ‘Future Fund’ which aims to improve Melbourne through innovative community focused projects. Cleanaway does have a sparkling record in regards to their quality of service and technical knowledge when it comes to waste management and disposal. So the deal seems like a golden opportunity for both parties.

The Hidden Meaning

But what is hidden beneath the surface of this deal? On the surface Melbourne has always seemed to be a beacon of sanitation amongst Australian cities. But there has been a sharp rise in the number of pest related issues in the city. Primarily involving Black Ants or Rodents. Until recently companies responsible for pest control in Melbourne have been able to keep an excellent lid on the pest population.

But times have changed. The COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult time for all of us. And one of the often forgotten side effects of the lockdowns is that the pest population experienced a rapid boom and migration. Many restaurants and cafes had to throw away a lot of their stock. Piles of food were left to the mercy of the pest hordes. Creating a sudden rise in their population.

And then, when they soon discovered that restaurants weren’t producing anymore food, they migrated towards houses and apartment complexes. Pests in the home became far more common during this era. Eventually the world started up again as lockdowns were lifted. But we are still feeling the effect of such a huge increase in the pest population.

Legionnaires Outbreak

Melbourne is currently facing one of the worst outbreaks of Legionnaires since 2000. The cause of this current outbreak hasn’t yet been determined. Authorities are searching numerous water towers. But they have yet to locate the source. At last count there were around 60 confirmed cases with two people having died from the disease.

Now it might not be a fair assumption to say that the outbreak has been caused by the city’s lack of sanitation protocols. But a lot of detractors have claimed that the city has obviously been ill-prepared for the outbreak. And since this isn’t the first time the city has experienced a Legionnaires outbreak, and since it is so soon after COVID, many claim the city should have been better prepared to handle this.

Sensationalist News

There have been a number of additional stories discrediting the sanitation levels of Melbourne. Recently the restaurant Little Tim Tam was hit with a fine after rodent droppings were found on site. And CCTV footage caught a waste disposal crew mixing recycling in with the normal trash during a routine pickup.

But these are often very isolated incidents. And aren’t typical of just Melborune, but of every major city. You will always have cracks in the system. The main issue comes from the fact that people are quick to respond to sensational stories and assume the worst. And this leads to further misinformation being spread around social media and other outlets.

The truth of the matter is that Melbourne isn’t facing a sanitation crisis. The Legionnaires outbreak, while serious, will be stifled fairly quickly. And all the other minor sanitation issues facing the city will hopefully be resolved by Cleanaway and other private companies.

It is important to be cautious when reading stories online, especially if they are on social media. Always make sure you are checking the provided sources and doing further research before jumping to any conclusions. Misinformation being spread about issues like sanitation or outbreaks can have devastating consequences.

Anthony

Writing about politics and finances.