Neutral Bay residents, gardeners divided over plans for blanket ban on petrol powered leaf blowers

Fired-up Sydney residents are calling for a blanket ban on the use of noisy petrol powered leaf blowers in a move that has left the city’s gardeners fuming. Have your say in our poll.

Residents in Sydney’s inner suburbs are calling for a blanket ban on the use of noisy petrol powered leaf blowers in a move which has left the city’s gardeners fuming.

Neutral Bay homeowners are leading a fresh charge for gardeners to be banned from using petrol-guzzling leaf clearing devices and instead make the switch to quieter, electric powered alternatives.

The proposal was put forward at a recent Neutral Bay community meeting where locals voiced concerns over excessive noise and air pollution associated with the petrol-powered machines.

There have been similar proposals raised by residents in Bondi and Mosman - partly fuelled by more Sydneysiders working from home and experiencing noise impacts during the day.

Neutral Bay resident Glen Curyer said the piercing sound of leaves being blown off freshly mowed gardens have become “ubiquitous” in the suburb.

Simon Cutler, owner of Greath Southland Gardens, pictured with his leaf blowers in Cammeray. Picture: Richard Dobson

“They’re very loud but the biggest issue is the use of them at them at sensible hours and when they’re turned on at 7am it’s fair to say not everyone’s a fan, especially on weekends,” he said.

“If all the clearing was done at a reasonable hour it would be less of an issue, but even now with more people working from home there can be problems around disturbances during the day.

Complaints about leaf blowers are on the rise.

“There are a few residents that use the petrol-devices but most are contractors who come bright and early in the morning and do all the unit blocks in the area one by one.

“As soon as I hear it I have to close the windows and you can’t have a conversation on the phone. It’s a real and genuine noise.”

North shore based gardener Simon Cutler, who runs Great Southland Gardens, said the ban would be cost prohibitive and result in jobs taking up to twice as long to complete.

“I’ve used both electric and the petrol powered blowers and the main problem with electric is that even with a high-end model the batteries only last about 20 minutes,” he said.

“When I’m on a job it means I have to change batteries over or ask the owner to charge them on site and the amount of power you get from the electric devices is nowhere near the same.

“I’ve had debates with people who say ‘why don’t you use a broom or a rake instead’ but if I was to use a broom at one of my strata sites it’d take all day. If I use my blower it takes 20 minutes.

“At the end of the day it comes down to if people are willing to pay for you to stay on site longer.”

A North Sydney Council spokeswoman said it did not have the power to ban the petrol-powered devices which are currently permitted under NSW Environment Protection Authority guidelines.

She said there were already some restrictions in place, including a ban on the use of devices before 7am on weekdays and 8am on weekends.

Neutral Bay resident Glen Curyer said the noise can be deafening.

The council confirmed it had received complaints about the petrol-powered devices, mostly about their use at “blocks of units, schools and commercial premises”.

Waverley and Woollahra Councils also also confirmed they have received complaints about petrol powered leaf blowers during the last 12 months.

A Waverley Council spokeswoman said the council was continuing to liaise with residents from Bondi Beach who called for a ban on the blowers and whipper snippers last year.

Residents want petrol powered devices banned.

A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokeswoman encouraged residents with complaints to contact their local council.

The spokeswoman said the department was also in the process of reviewing a revised noise guide for local government areas across NSW, which considers noise measures for various resident noise sources including leaf blowers.

“Following extensive consultation in 2021, the revised Noise Guide for Local Government will be published shortly. Any proposed amendments to legislation, including the regulations would be subject to a consultation process,” she said.

Mosman-based gardener Hugh Brunskill – who runs The Humble Gardener – said there were pros and cons of petrol powered devices, but supported the switch to electric.

“The electric blowers aren’t as powerful and the power costs have gone up, but they’re a lot quieter when you’re doing residential work,” he said.

“From my point of view you’re mad if you’re clinging to petrol powered blowers – they’re loud and you can’t expect your employees to stand in fumes all day.”

Margaret Merten, the co-convener of the Bondi Precinct, previously told the Daily Telegraph that lockdowns were the catalyst for the proposed ban.

“Bondi is a densely populated area (with) a lot of people living in blocks of units,” she said.

“With lockdown the impact of the noise and dust has really become a lot more extreme for people in the Bondi area,” she said.