Man had to use first aid scissors to cut grass at nan’s grave in Mt Gravatt Cemetery

A furious Brisbane man had to use first aid scissors to cut long grass at Mt Gravatt Cemetery so he could find his nan’s grave.

Long Grass in a Brisbane cemetery - Photo supplied Matt Somers

A furious Brisbane man had to use first aid scissors to cut long grass at Mt Gravatt Cemetery so he could find his nan’s grave earlier this week.

But the Brisbane City Council said it cut the grass the next day and blamed record November rain for mowing delays.

Despite an apology from Civic Cabinet Chair for City Standards Councillor Sarah Hutton, Matthew Somers said he was “calling bulls**t’’ on the excuse and insisted grass in some parts of the cemetery was a metre long.

“My local park is in a much better state, so clearly they have let it go,’’ he said.

“I had been going there for years with my nan, who taught me to respect graves and keep them tidy.

“I’ve been there 30 or 40 times and I’ve never seen it look like that.’’

The long grass near the grave of Mathew Somers’ nan before it was mown by council. Picture: Matt Somers

City Standards Chair, Councillor Sarah Hutton, said there had been huge rainfall which meant contractors could not mow, particularly in cemeteries where wet soil could result in damage to turf and headstones.

“We sincerely apologise to Mr Somers for his experience as we want our cemeteries to be in the best condition possible for those coming to see their loved ones,’’ Ms Hutton said.

“November has seen double the amount of rainfall compared to the same time in 2023, including more than 195mm of rain in the past two weeks alone.

“Rain brings perfect conditions for grass growing, but not for mowing, and we did not want to damage people’s graves or the ground.

How the cemetery where Mr Somers' nan is buried now looks after being mowed this week. Picture: Brisbane City Council

“Our teams have spent recent weeks navigating the wet ground, with only limited patches dry enough to be mowed without causing damage to the ground and graves.

“Dry weather this week has meant Mr Somer’s family’s grave has been able to be mowed and as part of our peak season mowing schedule Mt Gravatt Cemetery will be mowed nine times.’’

Local Labor Councillor Steve Griffiths said there had been numerous complaints about the state of Mt Gravatt Cemetery in the past, although he conceded they had dropped off more recently.

Mr Somers had to clean up his nan's headstone with first aid scissors.

However, he claimed council officers had erected signs in some parks about the wet weather interfering with mowing, even when it had been sunny, in what he labelled a “pre-emptive move’’ to limit complaints.

He said data from last year revealed complaints about inadequate mowing in parks right across the city.

“Mt Gravatt Cemetery should be mowed as regularly as a park. It’s a place people gather, a memorial site,’’ Mr Griffiths said.

A council sign informing the public about the lack of mowing due to rain, at Fauna Parade Park in Rocklea. Picture: Councillor Steve Griffiths

“These signs they’ve been putting up seem to show council doesn’t have a lot of faith in its mowing contractors being able to keep up with the job.

“This Lord Mayor keeps cutting, cutting, cutting — just not the grass.’’

Mt Gravatt Cemetery is a lawn facility and is council’s biggest cemetery, covering nearly 80ha.

Rainfall records showed more than 214mm of rain had fallen in Brisbane in November, three times normal levels.

Almost 110mm of rain fell in October as well, although there were two straight weeks with no rain.

Council has also attributed further delays at the $257 million Moggill intersection upgrade in Indooroopilly to the November rainfall.

Originally published as Man had to use first aid scissors to cut grass at nan’s grave in Mt Gravatt Cemetery