A “sea of three-foot-high grass” in Narre Warren South has forced Gary Ellis to take maintenance outside his home into his own hands after being left disappointed by a lack of action from the Department of Transport.
The side fence to Mr Ellis’ property runs parallel to a 350-metre grass bank on Greaves Road, between Cypress Hill Drive and the roundabout at the intersection of Greaves Road, Wood Road and The Avenue, which has become overgrown in recent months.
Mr Ellis organised a professional lawnmower to cut the grass outside his property on Thursday 10 November.
Adding to the poor aesthetic appeal, approaching summer, he’s worried about the vegetation providing a home for snakes, and providing fuel for a fire.
“As soon as it gets dry, with the number of cars that pass on Greaves Road, there must be people who throw a cigarette out the window,” Mr Ellis said.
“Once a fire got up to my house, it would go up. It’s so close to the reserve.
“It’s simply a matter of not being mowed. If it’s kept low, a fire won’t start.
“I had to pay to get my daughter to mow it. It’s absolutely terrible.”
The responsibility of maintaining the grass was previously a matter for the City of Casey, but in 2017 it changed hands to now fall under the banner of the Department of Transport.
He says that there was never previously an issue when it was a council matter.
“Since it’s become a government road, they don’t seem to worry about it.
“Casey mowed it every three weeks, but now it’s been months since it’s been touched.”
Compounding his frustrations is a noisy drainage pit on the road within 20 metres of his property.
With the amount of traffic on the road and the location on the road, the pit produces a thud every time cars travel over it, and has been keeping his wife awake night, such is the volume of the vibration.
At a recent doctor’s appointment, she was told to take medication to get her through the night uninterrupted.
When asked what other remedies she had attempted, including using earplugs, Mr Ellis’ frustration was evident.
“We haven’t (used earplugs), but why should you? There should be a way of fixing this.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Transport said the climate was a contributing factor to the length of the grass.
“Mowing around this time of year remains an ongoing challenge as the combination of sun and wet weather often results in grass growing at a faster rate than other times of the year,” the spokesperson said.
“Members of the community are encouraged to report hazards on the roads by calling the dedicated Department of Transport customer service hotline on 13 11 70.”
