Mackay council slammed over mowing, unkempt gardens

This city’s ‘awful’ long grass and gardens are forcing a real estate agent to apologise in advance to prospective buyers but the council says it’s faced ‘almost a perfect storm’. See what’s gone so wrong

Mackay residents are frustrated at the long grass growing across the region. Pictured is 1m high grass growing alongside a footpath on Norris Rd which is used by students at Fitzgerald State School and Mackay North State High School. Picture: Heidi Petith

Mackay’s “awful” long grass and gardens are forcing a real estate agent to apologise in advance to prospective buyers.

Stacey Arlott said the region was neglected compared to neighbouring cities Rockhampton and Townsville and asked where had the council’s pride gone.

“Mackay is looking really, really awful,” she said, adding long grass on roundabouts was dangerously obscuring drivers’ vision.

Ms Arlott is just one of many residents dissatisfied with the performance of Mackay Regional Council’s Parks and Open Spaces portfolio.

Mackay real estate agent Stacey Arlott says she has found herself apologising in advance to buyers looking for a home in Mackay because of the overgrown grass and weedy gardens. Picture: Contributed

Boilermaker Matthew Bradshaw was hailed a “legend” for mowing a path through the “absolute joke” waist-high grass outside Walkerston State School.

He received a beer of thanks from OShea’s Hotel Walkerston publican Andrew Guthrie whose post about the good deed yielded hundreds of reactions on Facebook.

Mr Guthrie said while council crews were maintaining grounds from Marian Town Centre to Finch Hatton, elsewhere the upkeep was a “bloody shame” with Rockhampton now trumping Mackay for beauty.

Councillor Martin Bella addressed the mowing issue on Facebook, writing though it “may surprise some” the council was also “less than happy” with the situation resulting from what “has almost been the ‘perfect storm’.”

Councillor Martin Bella moved a motion to introduce a rotational deputy mayor system to Mackay Regional Council. The motion was voted down 7-4. Picture: Duncan Evans

Mr Bella said the department was “chronically understaffed” with 27 vacancies, a manufacturer’s recall had stood down 13 mowers, contractors were “difficult” to source, and the wet season growth was “exceptionally strong”.

Terry Wallace rebutted the council could not blame the weather with Mackay a “disgrace” and “absolute embarrassment” compared to regions with similar environments.

MRC Infrastructure and Operations director Jason Devitt said crews were working extremely hard in difficult conditions to get on top of the mowing across the council’s 7622 sqm region.

Mackay residents are frustrated at the long grass growing across the region. Pictured is 1m high grass growing alongside a footpath on Norris Rd which is used by students at Fitzgerald State School and Mackay North State High School. Picture: Heidi Petith

Mr Devitt said the council had worked with their supplier to return five mowers into operation and would return the other eight once safe to do so.

“We’ve also leased some slashing equipment with high cutting speeds to help decrease mowing times in the interim … (and) we’ve engaged a local contractor to provide additional support for our teams in coming weeks,” he said.

Mr Devitt said the council had advertised for the 27 Parks’ vacancies as well as 12 in maintenance with all “in some stage of the recruitment process”.

He said crews were “working overtime to catch up” but some saturated grounds needed to dry before staff could tackle mowing.

“While we have been receiving many customer requests, staff will look to maintain existing rotations unless there is a direct safety issue,” Mr Devitt said.