Why do clean streets matter?

 

Branding of Armadale

Dirty and rundown place name signage can significantly influence public opinion about a place in several negative ways:

1. Perception of Neglect

• Visual Cues of Neglect: Signage that is dirty, damaged, or rundown can give the impression that the place is neglected or poorly maintained. This can lead people to believe that the broader environment or services in the area might also be substandard. First impressions are powerful, and poor signage can create a lasting negative image that affects how people perceive the quality and safety of the place.

2. Impact on Reputation

• Brand Image: For businesses or public places, signage is a critical aspect of branding. Dirty or unkempt signs can harm the brand's reputation, suggesting a lack of care or professionalism. This can deter potential customers or visitors, who may associate the appearance of the sign with the overall quality of the business or location.

3. Visitor Confidence and Trust

• Loss of Confidence: People tend to trust and feel more confident in places that appear well-maintained. Rundown signage can undermine this confidence, leading to reduced foot traffic and potentially lower business or visitor numbers. In contrast, clean, well-maintained signage signals that the place is cared for, which can increase trust and encourage people to visit or engage with the place.

4. Psychological Impact

• Negative Associations: Psychology suggests that humans often make quick judgments based on visual stimuli. A dirty or dilapidated sign can trigger negative associations, making people feel uneasy or unwelcome. This can be particularly detrimental in areas that rely on tourism or customer satisfaction.

5. Economic Consequences

• Economic Impact: In some cases, rundown signage can lead to economic consequences. For instance, if a business's sign is in disrepair, it may lose customers to competitors with more attractive and inviting signage. Similarly, areas with poorly maintained public signage may struggle to attract tourists or new residents, impacting local economies.

In summary, rundown and dirty signage can significantly damage the public's perception of a place, affecting everything from trust and confidence to economic viability and reputation. Ensuring that signage is clean, clear, and well-maintained is a simple but crucial part of managing a place’s image and public appeal.

City centres are visual representations and a statement of respective community values associated with the city's name and the local government administration area.

Appearance is also an indication of the quality governance provided by for example the leadership effectiveness reflected through the work carried out by their employees and the quality of services provided by local businesses.

and the following Monday public holiday

https://curiosityhuman.com/7-surprising-reasons-why-clean-streets-matter-and-how-you-can-help-keep-them-clean/

 

Binning your rubbish is too easy. click on the text or the photo to find out how

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following are the reference photos of the areas and buildings we want to improve in the city centre and surrounding area, to remedy the negative sentiment and reputational damage of our council administration areas. 

City of Armadale Google Maps

Photos were taken over the past few years of the same spot displayed to demonstrate the time gone by without cleaning and maintenance of the same feature for over a decade and the continuous disintegration of fixtures and buildings during these years. With the help of Google maps, we can look back in time.

in 2023

our  photos were taken on-site in 2023 September

the something on the roof that probably used to be the neon sign

 

Report littering and rubbish dumping https://www.kabc.wa.gov.au/report-littering/litter-reporting-faqs

Community litter grants https://www.kabc.wa.gov.au/get-involved/community-litter-grants

https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/environmental-protection-authority

 

The CoA administration centre area with shopping centres and service providers occupying offices on untidy streets and unkept buildings, as the Armadale name displayed in degrading and unrespectful conditions and environmental representation could be one of the reasons for the negative sentiment of the whole of Armadale.

Measuring the return on local council rates and the effectiveness of council employees' work involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative assessments. Here are some key ways to evaluate these aspects:

1. Financial Efficiency Metrics

• Cost-Benefit Analysis: This involves comparing the costs of council services and projects (funded by rates) against the tangible and intangible benefits to the community. For example, the costs of maintaining parks can be weighed against community usage, health benefits, and property value impacts.
• Ratepayer Value Index: This can be calculated by comparing the total amount of rates collected with the council’s expenditure on public services. It provides an indication of how effectively ratepayer money is being utilized.

2. Service Delivery Performance

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Set specific KPIs for different council services, such as waste management, road maintenance, and community programs. Measure these KPIs regularly to assess how well the council is delivering services. Common KPIs might include service delivery time, resident satisfaction, and adherence to budget.
• Service Satisfaction Surveys: Regular surveys of residents to gather feedback on their satisfaction with various council services can provide insight into whether the services funded by rates are meeting community expectations.

3. Community Engagement and Feedback

• Public Consultations and Feedback Mechanisms: Engage the community through public consultations, town hall meetings, and online feedback forms to understand residents’ views on how well the council is performing and whether they feel they are getting value for their rates.
• Social Media and Online Presence: Monitor social media and local forums for public sentiment and feedback regarding council activities and services.

4. Project and Program Outcomes

• Project Completion Rates: Track the percentage of council projects that are completed on time and within budget. This is a direct measure of both the efficiency of council employees and the effective use of ratepayer funds.
• Impact Assessments: Conduct post-implementation reviews of major projects or programs funded by council rates to evaluate whether the intended benefits were realized and whether the outcomes justify the costs.

5. Employee Productivity and Performance

• Performance Appraisals: Regularly evaluate council employees based on their job descriptions, objectives, and KPIs. This can include both quantitative metrics (e.g., tasks completed, projects managed) and qualitative assessments (e.g., teamwork, community engagement).
• Workload and Output Analysis: Measure the workload versus output of council employees. For example, analyzing how many building permits are processed per employee in the planning department can give insights into productivity.

6. Benchmarking

• Comparative Analysis with Other Councils: Compare the performance of your council with similar councils in terms of service delivery, financial management, and community satisfaction. This benchmarking can highlight areas of strength and identify opportunities for improvement.

7. Transparency and Accountability Reports

• Annual Reports and Financial Statements: These documents should clearly outline how ratepayer funds have been used and what outcomes have been achieved. Transparency in financial reporting helps in assessing the effective use of funds.
• Audit Reports: Regular audits (both internal and external) can assess the council's adherence to policies, financial management, and effectiveness in delivering services.

8. Infrastructure and Asset Management

• Condition Assessments: Regularly assess the condition of public infrastructure (e.g., roads, parks, public buildings) maintained by the council. Improvements or deterioration in these assets can indicate the effectiveness of council expenditure.
• Asset Utilization Rates: Measure how well council-owned assets are being utilized by the community. High utilization rates often indicate good value for money and effective management.

By using these methods, councils can better understand the return on investment from rates and the effectiveness of their employees, ensuring that they are delivering value to the community and maintaining public trust.

The once-operational Armadale Wedding Center on Williams Street opposite the Services Australia government agency is visited by many living in the CoA and beyond

 

Armadale Railway Station view from Green Avenue on Google Maps historical shot

Recent photo of the railway station rubbish hiding in the dried-out weeds

Presentable city centres are likely tourist destinations in most civilised countries. Visitors go for a walk, have a coffee, a meal and do shopping.

Next to the Bank West branch and the statue of an early settler representing our tourist attractions

 

The clean parking lot of Armadale District Surgery as seen on Google Maps historical shot

 

Recent photos of the surroundings of the Armadale District Surgery are full of rubbish month after month without any street cleaning activity in the area

 

A bench in Memorial Park on Jull Street mail tourist attraction

 

 

 

The First floor of 186 Jull Street and the photo of the surrounding building seen on Google Maps historical view

 

Photo of the first floor's dirty windows and fading painting and damage of the building facade as of the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022

 

 

The windows are dirty and stained the wall features need a good rain to wash down the dirt accumulated over the past few years

 

Dirty Windows

 

Rusty building fixtures, stained brick, exposed light fittings

Dirty windows, rusty pipes, the wall is covered in glue from removed signs and the pavement has a thick black stain cover.

Nearby Byford city centre street art and tidy appearance for comparison

 

A well-maintained house and the front verge is a rare sights.

 

A damaged letterbox, poorly maintained grass on the verges and exposed water meters a trip hazard on the corner of Sixth Road and Devonshire Terrace

 

Dead rat in Commerce Court business office complex in the city centre area

 

Contractors only collect leaves and rubbish in some areas the rest does not seem to have any attention given

This is when the shopping centre carp park looks like after clean up

Stains, everything is covered in cobwebs, it's obvious that nothing has been cleaned in a long time, many photos taken over a year period, no change

 

Armadale District Surgery car park photos over many months period no cleanup

Rubbish all along with the wall is a welcoming feature for the area.

Weeds no plants and another vacant block in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

People are leaving shopping trolleys from the nearby shopping centre wherever they feel like it.

Customer and proprietor car park behind Fourth Road businesses

The ground at the Memorial park is covered in stains and grease.

 

The streets are covered with bird feces.

Jull Street looks presentable when kept clean as seen on a historical street view shot

It's currently covered in crushed sycamore seed pods that coat the ground.

People continue to leave their rubbish lying around as there are no bins visible and building fittings rust and fall apart. The item on the photo also was in a similar condition visible in a street view photo from 2016.

The metal awnings that provide shelter are rusting and losing their colour.

Signs that haven't been cleaned still show traces of graffiti, photos taken over a period of close to two years

Even the outside of banks isn't kept to a minimum standard, with dead leaves, dirt, and stains all over the floors and walls.

There used to be a small playground and a well-maintained water tank on the corner of Seventh Road and Terrigal Way.

Now there's no playground and the paint is peeling off.

This tower is starting to literally fall apart which could pose a serious danger to the public.

The sign for the Armadale sporting club is rusting and covered in stains, who wants to join a club with such a bad first impression?

The overgrown grass around the train station is full of rubbish that hasn't been cleaned in months.

Around the sides of the train station, there's still more rubbish.

Empty boxes and rubbish fill what should be gardens and cover the grass.

Dirt and rubbish have piled up, and the grass is starting to push up through the pavement.

This was the Memorial Park plaque soon after it was placed.

Now the Memorial Park plaque is covered in bird feces despite documenting an important piece of history.

These broken limestone walls have just been left there as is for over a year.

And there's rubbish in the poorly maintained car park of Cash Converters.

It's just as easy to see the dirt, grime, and cobwebs in the evening and at night.

Rusted poles and boxes have just been left in the gardens, and the garden is infested with large ant nests, this is the surrounding of the business complex on Prospect road next to the shopping centre 300m away from the City of Armadale building most of these photos are not further away then a few hundred meters from there. 

This sign has been completely pulled out but has just been left in the garden.

Dead leaves and branches have just been left in the garden and rubbish sits along with it all.

This old concrete staircase is left on the street leading to nowhere.

A massive branch has fallen off this tree but it has yet to be safely removed.

This roof cover has fallen off but has just been left hanging rather than being replaced or removed, which could be a safety hazard.

A large number of empty, unmaintained lots used to have housing in them.

People leave their unwanted furniture out the front even though it's not time for junk collection.

This walkway has been left and weeds have grown unchecked.

People abandon trolleys wherever they want, like here at 491 Green Avenue.

The following photos were taken along these streets next to the city railway station with overgrowth vegetation and vacant lots used as rubbish dumps to the "delight" of the visiting tourist.

Formerly 471 Green Avenue in 2009.

Now there are lots of empty properties just left unchecked.

467 Green Avenue, these posts have just been left here since 2009 and the lot has been untouched for just as long.

The lot on the corner of Green Ave and Tudor Road has been virtually empty since at least 2009.

451 Green Ave, while not perfect the outside of Armadale Train station used to be much cleaner.

9 Tudor Road, all overgrown.

28 Fifth Road, you can see there's a small brick wall on the ground but nothing was done with it and the land remains empty.

25 Fifth road

Now it's the grass has grown, and the fence is falling apart.

22 Fifth Road, empty and unused.

471 Green Avenue, has been left to overgrow since 2015.

Some abandoned mattresses are left in the middle of the many empty lots opposite the Armadale Fire Station, at 438 Green Avenue.

There used to be a house at 30 Sixth Road in 2018.

Now it's a rubbish dump.

Rundown building on the opposite block.

Corner of Devonshire Terrace and Sixth Road same intersection.

This was 45 Sixth Road in 2014.

Now there's only an empty lot, ever since it was demolished people have been using it to dump rubbish.

53 Sixth Road, in 2016 it had a neat garden fence at the front of the house.

Now the garden has simply grown out of control.

56 Sixth Road, was a property at some point.

Now it's just another empty lot.

58 Sixth Road, featuring a collapsing makeshift fence, overgrown grass, and lots of scrap metal.

Shopping trolleys are everywhere.

This walkthrough was neat and tidy in 2014.

Now it's completely overgrown and unkempt.

The now Australian Tertiary Institute at 41 Commerce Avenue, this photo is from 2009.

This photo was taken in 2018 for comparison.

The building has broken and displaced pavement lying around, a missing pit cover broken by parking cars on the walking path yet amply parking in the underground car park.

This was all caused by cars being parked where they shouldn't have been.

Car park behind West Pack bank builing

Car parks all over the city have large potholes in them.

Exposed bricks just left as they are.

Whitehead street where the entrance to the Armadale Shopping City's parking lots is, this photo was taken in 2015.

Now the fence is falling over but still hasn't been fixed.

And rubbish lines the parking bays.

Bent and broken signs, big broken branches, and cracked curbs are everywhere.

There used to be a building here at 25 Prospect Road.

Now, this driveway leads to a big empty overgrown lot with the new building in the background. This lot is next to the Armadale Police Station.

22 Prospect Road used to be a Child care center

Now it's just a worn-down building an eye saw on the street opposite the Armadale Police station.

The staircase to the novhere.

This house at the end of Jull Street was left empty for a long time and was allowed to decay.

Long time empty lot next to the under-construction Court House.

 

Car park behind Fourth Road buildings

More potholes and broken walls.

The building at the Armadale Station is covered in graffiti scribbles.

More photos of the view arrival locals and visitors "enjoy" getting off their train at Armadale train station

The car park looks unprofessional with broken curbs, dirt all over the ground, and faded parking bay lines.

Cobwebs at the top of Armadale station.

This sign was simply left on the ground.

Armadale Station looks nice when kept clean and tidy.

The leaves from the trees are simply left there when they fall.

The roof of Armadale station looks dirty.

 

This collapsed pavement poses a serious tripping hazard, and there aren't any signage warning pedestrians.

 

These offices have ugly fronts that aren't very inviting for visitors. Many vacant offices since the untidy discussing appearance of some of these buildings not inviting business to invest in the area.

Who would want to lease an office that hasn't been cared for?

You see the sign that says Armadale and then the seats that are covered in bird feces, and it doesn't give you a good impression of Armadale.

The building next to Armadale Train Station is covered in graffiti.

Street art at the Minnawara park looked back in 2014.

Now the mosaic is brown and dirty hardly visible text and picture.

This sign isn't very convincing when the paint is wearing off and it's covered in graffiti.

These fences aren't very good at keeping people out either.

For such an important city centre area there is a lot of rubbish in it all the time.

The shopping city's trolley bays are still covered in graffiti.

Street view in 2014

Present as of 2022 100m from the train station center of Armadale

Another trolley is left far away from the nearest trolley bay or shopping centre.

Next to the Chicken Treat is a large pile of rubbish up against the fence also this is the shopping centre car park the Armadale railway station in the background 80m away.

In 2018 this shopfront was much tidier.

Now it's covered in graffiti and cracks.

The roof next to this security camera is starting to grow mouldy.

The side alleys are covered in trash.

The walkway and seats of Jull street are covered in fallen leaves and bird feces that haven't been cleaned up.

The alley now has more rubbish in it that takes up even more space.

It's a shame that the rest of Armadale city centre doesn't look like this.

Armadale Tennis Club site: If someone took the time to graffiti the back of this structure why can't we take the time to clean it?

 

Gardeners blow their mess to the next lot car park instead of collecting and taking to the pit.

This empty building's entrances are full of leaves on Jull Street, who would want to lease that?

The street cleaner with rubbish that is not his job to clean

This parking area is full of rubbish and stains, not a very appealing parking spot.

The broken limestone wall and displaced bricks pose a big tripping hazard.

In the dark, the seed pods dropped by these trees are even more of a tripping hazard for pedestrians.

The front garden of this house leaves a lot to be desired with all of the rubbish and fallen branches lying in plain view the building has a For Sale sign for over a year no wonder.

Trolleys and mattresses have just been dumped here for no reason.

This bus stop just next to the Armadale Shopping City is dirty, covered in cobwebs and graffiti, and surrounded by rubbish and abandoned trolleys.

The seat next to it isn't much better, being stained and with graffiti scribbled on it.

The multi-coloured wall on Fourth Road has a massive hole in it now and the roof has some holes in it too.

The roof is covered in cobwebs, dead bugs, webs and holes.

And there are also some big cracks in these walls.

The car park opposite has a large pothole in it.

And the garden has some exposed piping and rubbish.

The air conditioning unit and pipes are rusty and need painting.

This sign that has been knocked over and broken is trying to warn pedestrians, it wouldn't be necessary if the street was simply cleaned regularly.

 

This sign warning pedestrians is still standing but also wouldn't be necessary if the street was regularly swept.

This lot is now empty and is used as a dumping ground, the fence is broken in multiple places and should just be removed but has just been left there.

The front of this house has multiple trolleys gathered in front of it and weeds growing all over it.

This development site has rubbish and weeds everywhere making it unappealing for prospective buyers.