The City of Port Phillip Council encourages residents to use Snap Send Solve to report graffiti, dumped rubbish, litter, damaged footpaths, and more. The idea sounds simple: snap it, send it, done.

But too often, it isn’t done. Residents receive emails saying an issue is “complete” when nothing has actually changed. Graffiti still covers walls. Rubbish piles up on streets. Community trees remain neglected. It feels like boxes are being ticked for admin purposes, or meeting KPI’s but not action on the ground.

OR the Snap, Send, Solve is being investigated with a new case number with no details attached – so you can’t recognise what it is that is being addressed in the next email response.

OR one heap of dumped rubbish is collected and cleaned up similar dumped rubbish 5 meters down the street is left behind?

Yes, sometimes the system works. A reported pile of dumped rubbish in South Melbourne gets removed. A stray trolley in Elwood is cleared. Residents appreciate those wins. But too often, reports are marked “solved” when they clearly aren’t. That’s not service; that’s spin. If Port Phillip Council wants us to use the portal instead of contacting them directly, the system must have integrity. “Completed” should mean fixed — not filed.

Real Examples from Port Phillip Residents

When it works:

• A local reported dumped rubbish near Albert Park, and council crews removed it within a few days.
• Graffiti along a laneway in St Kilda was reported via the app and eventually cleaned up.

When it doesn’t:

• Residents report the same graffiti-covered wall multiple times, only for it to remain months later.
• Dumped rubbish in backstreets is sometimes ignored or marked “completed” without any visible action.
• Multiple residents say the portal can feel like a black hole — issues disappear into the system with no follow-up.

Persistence is Key

Residents shouldn’t have to repeatedly report the same problems, take screenshots, or chase council staff to see basic action. Yet that’s often what it takes in Port Phillip. Snap Send Solve can be useful, but right now it appears too often like it is managing statistics rather than streets.

So yes, download the app and use it. Report graffiti. Snap dumped rubbish. We pay enough rates for these services — and if Port Phillip Council expects us to use the portal, the results should match the messages. Persistence shouldn’t be a full-time job for residents — the council needs to step up.

 

Because in Port Phillip, closing a case isn’t the same as fixing a problem.