Roadside mowing will be a priority after a wet winter. Photo: Ian Bushnell (photo pre-COVID).
After the ACT’s wettest winter since 2016 and seventh wettest ever recorded, the ACT Government has fired up its spring mowing program to counter its rapidly growing green spaces.
With 73 mowers covering on average 68 hectares every four weeks, ACT Minister for City Services Chris Steel described mowing as vital over the next few months, with the expectation of significant grass growth this spring. They’ve identified a number of high-priority areas for both safety and community amenity.
“The focus for our crews will be mowing at roadside intersections to keep grass maintained to a safe level and prevent any line-of-sight issues for drivers,” Mr Steel said.
“We will also be mowing the irrigated parks around town at staggered times and ACT Government sports grounds, which are seeing extra traffic at the moment with more Canberrans doing individual exercise outside.
“We ask for the community’s understanding and patience as our crews work to mow priority areas across the city while also complying with current health directions.”
After one of the wettest winters in recent years, it’s officially ✨mowing season✨. If you’ve been going on more walks around your suburb and noticed long grass, please be patient as we work across Canberra to mow all the grass, whilst also complying with current health directions. 😷 Some areas are still too wet to mow safely. We’ve put signs up in these areas and will be back to mow as soon as we can. ☔🦆 If you see the crews mowing large areas like ovals and parks, please give them plenty of space for the short time they’re there. Come back after the mowing is complete and enjoy a picnic or kicking the footy on freshly mowed grass. 🥰🧺 Visit the mowing map to see where we’re mowing next: www.cityservices.act.gov.au
Posted by Chris Steel MLA on Thursday, October 7, 2021
Under the annual mowing program, which runs from September to March, open space areas should be mowed every four weeks, while roadside areas should be mowed every five weeks.
“After a wet winter when more than 215 millimetres of rain was recorded at the Canberra Airport, and above-average rainfall forecast during spring, we’re expecting to see the grass grow quickly when the warmer weather returns,” Mr Steel said.
“We understand that keeping it down to safe and accessible levels is a priority for the Canberra community, so our teams will be working as efficiently and safely as they can to achieve this once the full program ramps up.”
The government is planning a staged approach to increasing regular mowing operations as more teams return to work. All data from areas and dates in which they are mowed will be captured through GPS systems on the mowers. The public will have access to this information, with the ability to view live mowing areas and plans for future mowing via the City Services website post lockdown.
Original Article published by Max O’Driscoll on The RiotACT.
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