00:00We have a challenge where a significant portion of our fleet is simply just old.
00:05The garbage truck fleet that we rely on is 10 years old in many instances, if not older.
00:12And as a consequence, because of the age of the fleet, we experience significant breakdowns.
00:18Over the last two financial years, the corporation spent more than $2 million on repairs.
00:23But Mayor Alain says the situation has been worsened by alleged sabotage of contractors' vehicles.
00:30They discovered that motor oil had been poured into the radiator of the garbage truck.
00:38So that when the garbage truck was started, it immediately became non-functional.
00:44That first is a very, very significant issue.
00:47It's an issue of great concern for the council.
00:51And this report has been forwarded to the city police for investigation and for the city police to take urgent and immediate remedial action.
01:01The mayor says the corporation applied to transfer $3.8 million from its public sector investment program allocated to acquire new trucks and equipment.
01:11But the request was not approved before the financial year's end.
01:14We made an application for the environment, or that is a transfer, of $3.8 million of our PSIP allocation so that we can acquire a fleet of dump trucks and a new backhoe for the city.
01:31Despite the setback, he says nearly $18 million has since been identified in the corporation's unspent balances.
01:38And City Council intends to redirect those funds towards new equipment, granted they received the required approval.
01:46Mayor Alain says the Portisbane Corporation has been working to fill the gap in the environmental maintenance following the CPAP layoffs.
01:54But challenges remain.
01:55Alain maintains that keeping the city clean depends on having the proper tools and resources.
02:00And he is calling for urgent support to ensure Portisbane can deliver reliable sanitation and maintenance services.
02:09Aksha Galston, TV6 News.
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