Council urges patience over unmaintained green spaces

A former local MP and longtime resident said a new approach is needed after he was told his park was mowed every nine weeks

Vista View park in Raceview.

IPSWICH City Council is urging residents to be patient with recent rain and the summer sun causing grass around the city to shoot up.

About 120 council staff and contractors manage more than 1000ha of open space, including sport fields and more than 630 parks and reserves.

Some teams have been working overtime to get on top of particularly overgrown areas.

A council spokesman said the council had received a lot of correspondence from residents requesting areas be mowed in recent weeks.

“Council shares our ratepayers’ passion for ensuring that Ipswich remains visually appealing and liveable for residents as well as being attractive to visitors and our crews will continue to work to manage the high growth periods,” he said.

“There are some areas that have higher rates of growth with minimal amounts of rainfall, specifically those in Redbank Plains, Collingwood Park and Bellbird Park.

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“Where required, council has taken additional measures to manage growth in these areas, such as enabling teams to work overtime.

“Council takes a systematic approach, prioritising maintenance according to both routine schedules, need and ensuring efficiency.

“We appreciate residents’ patience as our crews move across the city.”

The spokesman encouraged residents to lodge a request online.

“Council staff will inspect the area of concern and make a determination on action to be taken in accordance with council’s service levels,” he said.

Former Oxley MP Les Scott, who has lived in Raceview for more than 40 years, criticised the council’s approach and said more needs to be done to stay on top of overgrown grass.

He said his local Vista View park had not been mowed for months.

“It is an absolute disgrace,” he said.

“Like all community parks this park should always be maintained.

“It is well used by local residents and especially by children and more so during the school holidays.

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“Use of the park during the school holidays (was) very limited due to the poor maintenance of this park.”

Mr Scott said he was told by council staff the park was mowed on a nine-weekly cycle.

“In our summer (this is) just not acceptable,” he said.

“If such a policy exists then it should be changed to have the parks mowed when required.

“The maintenance of our local parks has always been a problem in Ipswich and over many years like myself local residents have had to make requests to Ipswich City Council and councillors.

“Imagine if I only mowed my lawn on a nine-weekly cycle. I’d get lost in the grass.”

Mr Scott said it wasn’t good enough that the grass is left as it is for such a long period of time at such a heavily-used park with residents concerned about young children and dogs walking through.

He said local footpaths also needed more regular attention.

“We haven’t had a lot of rain here,” he said.

“We’ve had a very, very dry season.

“We go for a walk most mornings and a lot of people around here do too.

“We all pay our rates and this needs to be looked after.”

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.

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