An efficient and flexible outdoor cleaning solution for the City of Launceston Council.
Industry: Municipal cleaning
The City of Launceston Council is responsible for maintaining a large and diverse range of public spaces, including busy pedestrian malls, footpaths and outdoor commercial areas. To support these demands, they invested in a Hako Citymaster 1650 street sweeper and scrubber to deliver a higher standard of cleanliness across its central mall precinct.
The Citymaster 1650 replaced an older Hako scrubber and was chosen for its ability to provide fast and effective cleaning on porous paving surfaces while offering unmatched flexibility for broader municipal cleaning tasks.
Further reading: Hako street sweepers and outdoor cleaning equipment »
The Challenge
Launceston’s pedestrian malls feature concrete pavers that are porous and uneven, allowing dirt to build up on the surface and the joints in between. While traditional outdoor sweepers remove loose debris such as leaves and litter, they are not sufficient to lift ingrained dirt and accumulated residues from textured or porous surfaces.
Day-to-day use of the mall introduces a wide range of contaminants, including fine dust, soil tracked in by foot traffic, food spills, chewing gum residue, bird droppings, grease from nearby hospitality venues, rubbish overflow, and grime from trolleys and service vehicles. Over time, these contaminants embed themselves into the surface of the pavers, diminishing the appearance of the space and increasing maintenance demands.
Given the size of the local government area and the volume of public spaces under Council’s care, no single machine could manage all cleaning requirements. Council operates multiple machines across different locations and applications, meaning reliability, flexibility and backup capability were essential.
The Solution
The Hako Citymaster 1650 was purchased primarily as a scrubber to deliver deep, wet cleaning of the mall’s pavers. Unlike a conventional street sweeper, the Citymaster 1650 combines powerful scrubbing action with efficient water recovery, lifting embedded dirt from both the surface and joints between pavers to restore a clean, uniform finish.
Importantly, the Citymaster 1650 offers rapid and tool-free conversion between scrubbing and sweeping functions. When Council’s dedicated sweeper experienced a breakdown, the Citymaster 1650 was quickly retrofitted to take over sweeping duties with minimal downtime. This flexibility allowed Council to continue operations without disruption.
The Citymaster 1650 performs effectively across a wide range of surfaces, including concrete pavers, asphalt, footpaths, shared pedestrian zones, roadways and outdoor commercial precincts. Its articulated steering, permanent all-wheel drive and compact footprint allow safe and efficient operation in tight urban environments where access, manoeuvrability and pedestrian safety are critical.
This multifunctionality is a key advantage over conventional street sweepers and outdoor cleaning equipment, which are typically limited to a single task and cannot be easily adapted when operational needs change.
Further reading: Municipal outdoor cleaning solutions »
The Results
The Citymaster 1650 has delivered consistently high cleaning results across the Launceston mall and spaces managed by Counil, keeping them clean, welcoming and safe for the public. Scrubbing has proven essential in maintaining porous paving, removing ingrained dirt that sweeping alone cannot address.
Operational flexibility has been a major benefit. When part of Council’s fleet is unavailable, the Citymaster 1650 can step in and perform multiple roles, ensuring continuity of service. This reduces reliance on single-purpose machines and strengthens fleet resilience.
Given the scale of Council’s cleaning responsibilities, multiple machines remain essential. However, the Citymaster 1650 ensures that no single breakdown brings operations to a halt. Its ability to switch between sweeping and scrubbing allows Council to allocate resources more efficiently across teams, locations and shifts, rather than relying on one machine operating continuously.
Council selected the Citymaster 1650 through a formal tender process, as is required under state legislation. Hako Australia was awarded the tender based on product quality, value for money and Council’s positive long-term experience with Hako equipment and support.
More Information
The City of Launceston Council case study demonstrates the true value of multifunctional municipal technology. When one machine can sweep, scrub and adapt to changing requirements, councils gain flexibility, reliability and long-term cost efficiency.
Hako’s Citymaster range is designed to meet the real-world demands of modern municipalities, offering safe, low-emission, ergonomic and highly versatile solutions for year-round use. From street sweeping and wet cleaning to seasonal applications such as transport, green space maintenance and winter service, Citymaster machines deliver genuine “One for All” capability.
To learn more about the Hako Citymaster 1650 or to discuss how multifunctional municipal cleaning equipment can strengthen your fleet, contact Hako Australia today. Our outdoor cleaning specialists can provide tailored advice, demonstrations and support to help you achieve cleaner, safer and more efficient public spaces across your community.