by Cam Lucadou-Wells
It’s an age-old question: who’s responsible for mowing the nature strip – the resident or the council?
According to Greater Dandenong Council’s website, “nature strips must be regularly maintained by the property residents”.
But this may not actually be the case – as a tall, thick mound of nature strip lawn that has invaded the footpath on Norman Court, Dandenong has remained stubbornly uncut.
And, several councillors have noted a mass of other overgrown nature strips particularly on vacant lots.
For several months councillor Jim Memeti has made enquiries to the council about Norman Court.
“I have never seen grass that long and thick on a nature strip, but the property behind it is perfectly mowed,” he told a 12 February council meeting.
“I think that the residents that live in that court do not want to cut their nature strip as it does not belong to them.”
Cr Memeti told Star Journal that he wonders why no compliance action has been taken in this case.
And he notes that residents aren’t allowed to “touch” the council’s trees on nature strips.
“The question is whether mowing nature strips is in our by-laws. If it’s not, the council can’t enforce (the mowing).”
Greater Dandenong city futures executive director Sanjay Manivasagasivam confirmed that it may be the council’s responsibility.
“Council is responsible for the road reserve in most instances, however rely on the established community expectation that residents will maintain nature strips to provide a neat and tidy street frontage,” he stated in a written response to Cr Memeti’s public question.
“This includes litter removal, removal of leaf litter and tree debris and mowing and the trimming of grass from the footpath and kerb or gutter.”
The council will only mow residential nature strips if they present a fire hazard or safety issue, Manivasagasivam said.
Instead, it would usually place a calling card in the resident’s letter box that “it is important” that the resident doesn’t allow their property to become “unsightly, overgrown or dangerous”.
“In around 80 per cent of all cases this has the desired effect and the property owner usually mows the nature strip, and the property owner usually mows the nature strip.”
