Parks under review

By Lia Bichel
CASEY Council is hoping to address residents’ complaints about uncut grass by reviewing its park maintenance throughout the municipality.
Springfield Ward Councillor Sam Aziz urged the council at a meeting on 1 February to report on maintenance of parks and gardens in Casey during the past three months.
Cr Aziz told the News that residents’ complaints about failure to cut grass had been an ongoing issue that needed to be addressed, and reviewing the maintenance in parks was the first step in doing so.
“Performance in this area leaves a lot to be desired,” he said.
“I feel we are letting down the residents. The two services our residents call upon us for the most is collection of rubbish and maintenance of neighbourhoods. If we can’t do that- we are letting them down.
“It is not something we should ignore.”
Cr Aziz said while residents had a valid concern, a large amount of rainfall was one of the reasons why grass was uncut in a number of parks throughout Casey.
“While I can’t deny that rain is a factor, I believe there are underlying contract management issues,” he said.
City of Casey manager Parks and Reserves Trevor Griffin said in late 2010, Casey Council terminated the contract of a major grass-cutting contractor for not performing according to contract specifications.
“Long grass was becoming an issue in a number of council’s parks and reserves and, while partly due to unseasonal heavy rains and humid conditions of the past few months, the issue was exacerbated by the major contractor not achieving required performance standards,” Mr Griffin said.
“Following the conclusion of the major contractor’s contract, as an interim measure pending the finalisation of a tender process for new mowing contractors, the council engaged a number of contractors to catch up on the backlog of mowing left by the major contractor. The cost of these additional contractors was deducted from the major contractor’s normal payments.”
Mr Griffin said new mowing contractors began on 13 December last year and they had been working seven days a week to stay on top of excessive grass growth.
Mr Griffin said the new contractors were required to cut grass at 1800 sites across the municipality, including Casey’s 400 parks and 50 reserves, on a three-weekly cycle.
“Each site has now received at least two cuts since the new contractors began in mid December. The contractors are now commencing the third round of cuts, including a closer focus on trimming and edging,” Mr Griffin said.
“There are a number of other existing contracts to maintain an additional 400 sites across the municipality including major parks, recreation reserves and playing surfaces, as well as kindergartens and community centres.”