*All mowing schedules are subject to weather conditions.
Please note the following definitions:
VERGE: A road verge is a strip of grass or plants, and sometimes also trees, located between a roadway and a footpath.
MEDIAN: The median strip, central reservation, roadway median, or traffic median is the reserved area that separates opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways such as divided highways, dual carriageways and freeways.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions to provide some information about managing and maintaining grass lengths in the City of Whittlesea.
Council is responsible for maintaining the grass and garden beds in local parks and along local roads. If it’s alongside a main road however, that may be VicRoads or another government agency. If it’s a privately-owned block of land, it’s the owner of the land.
In years with an especially wet spring, long grass is an extra challenge. La Nina is a weather phenomenon that results in above average rainfall and as a result fast grass growth.
We take pride in the maintenance and presentation of our parks and gardens however we are experiencing challenges in keeping our parks, reserves and roadsides to the standard we want for our community. Council is continuing to work very closely with our contractor to manage the situation.
With the recent wet weather, it has been difficult to get machinery into some areas to cut the grass. Where the ground is too wet to use heavy machinery without damaging the surface or compromising safety, we will cut as much as we can with lighter equipment on areas next to paths, fences and roadsides. When it dries out, additional crews will be back to finish the work.
Council aims to cut its grass and maintain garden beds every three or four weeks. However, wet weather can impact our schedule, meaning that it may take longer than usual to get to certain areas.
With the recent wet weather, it has been difficult to get machinery into some areas to cut the grass. Where the ground is too wet to use heavy machinery without damaging the surface or compromising safety, we will cut as much as we can with lighter equipment on areas next to paths, fences and roadsides. When it dries out, additional crews will be back to finish the work.
Maintenance crews are separated into a mowing crew and a clean-up crew as they use different equipment. The clean-up crew is responsible for detailing work and tidying up clippings. This crew aims to follow the mowing crew within 24 hours, however this may be delayed if there is heavy rainfall.
Garden beds are maintained on a separate three or four weekly cycle by a different crew to the mowing crew. The equipment and expertise required to maintain the garden beds differ to that required for mowing.
Council uses a slashing machine to cut spring/summer grass on roadsides. This is part of fire preparation work and is done in rural and urban fringe areas three times during this season.
The first slash will be done as close to the start of the fire danger period (usually late spring or early summer) as possible. It is normal that grass is longer in the lead up to the first slashing. Then it will be slashed during summer as the grass grows again to manage fire risk.