Mowing schedules - what you can expect
Mowing is undertaken on a schedule of rostered services that includes:
- District Parks (Bonnyrigg, Cabravale Memorial, Fairfield, Wetherill Park) - fortnightly
- Parks/Playgrounds (175) – monthly
- Sportsfields – fields of play – weekly
- Laneways/Bus stops/Rural Road Verges – monthly/quarterly
Mowing is delivered on outcomes based servicing. For example, sportsfields are inspected weekly and mowed only if required. Mowing when not needed can be detrimental to the maintenance of the playing surface.
Mowing service standards - what you can expect
Fairfield City Council has in place Service Statements to enable staff to meet agreed Service Delivery Standards. Council's Landscaping/Mowing Operational Plan defines the service standards for grass heights areas under Council's care and control.
- Major Town Centres and Retail Centres - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 75mm with no windrows of grass.
- Neighbourhood Town Centres and Retail Centres - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 75mm with no windrows of grass.
- District Parks - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 75mm with no windrows of grass.
- Parks with or without playgrounds - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 75mm with no windrows of grass.
- Sportsfield playing areas - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 50mm.
- Sportsfield outer area - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 75mm with no windrows of grass.
- Reserves and Open Space - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 100mm.
- Pathways - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 100mm.
- Nature strips (Fitting criteria for locations adjacent to park or reserve, City Welcome Sign or Bus Shelter, frontage to Council owned land or nature strips are proportionally larger than reasonably expected, emergency mow/intervention) - no lower than 25mm after cutting and no greater than 100mm
- Rural roadside slashing - no lower than 25 mm after cutting and no greater than 100 mm.
Note: A windrow is a row of cut grass allowed to dry before being gathered and removed.
Mowing of nature strips in residential areas
In Fairfield City, it is the resident’s responsibility for mowing nature strips in front and around their homes. This minimises rates for residents and enhances civic pride. An exception applies when a nature strip is overgrown to a level where sight safety and access is compromised for footpaths and other open spaces where people walk. Please report any overgrown nature strips by calling Council on 9725 0222 or through the Report It section on Council's website home page.
Mowing of nature strips (Emergency mow/intervention)
Nature strips are mowed only:
- when efforts to get the resident owner to maintain the area have been exhausted
- when grass or weeds are at a height of growth exceeding 300mm
- where sight and pedestrian access is compromised by the overgrown nature of the area leading to a unacceptable level of risk to the public, and
- at a pre-determined scheduled timing at times that do not conflict with core service delivery, (typically 4 times per year).
Mowing assistance for elderly residents
Elderly residents in Fairfield City may be eligible for assistance and support, including the mowing of nature strips.The State Government delivers a range of services through “MyAged Care” and can be contacted on (1800 200 422) or www.myagedcare.gov.au
Open Space Renewal Program
The Building Trades crews in Council's Construction and Maintenance Operations are tasked to:
- deliver about $7million of renewal works per year with additional work in new project delivery
- oversee the maintenance programs including the compliance maintenance management across all of Council's buildings (valued at approximately $341million), and
- attend to reactive responses to break downs where they “make safe” within 24 hours.