Cutting costs at grass roots level
Mowing is a chore – and when you have 3200 hectares of grass to cut, it is a very expensive chore.
The Cassowary Coast Regional Council, which currently spends $1.5 million per year mowing and slashing parks, roadsides, sports ovals and other open areas, is looking for ways to cut its grass cutting bill.
CCRC Parks and Natural Environment Manager, Paul Devine, recently prepared a report on the subject for the council’s Service Review Panel, which is reviewing council operations to identify service delivery areas where efficiency can be increased and savings subsequently made.
Mr Devine’s report detailed current service levels for the 3200 hectares of grass currently maintained by council staff.
“Much of that area is being over-serviced,” he said. “Sometimes it is being mown up to 24 times a year, which is fine for a feature area or a high-profile park, but not areas that are rarely used or rarely seen.”
A council senior management working team has now been asked to undertake an audit of all parks, sporting ovals and open spaces to assess their level of usage. The working team will then develop a Level of Service Program designed to ensure that the frequency level for mowing these areas is dependent upon their level of use.
“In some instances, the audit may show that certain land is never used, is surplus to requirements and would be cheaper to manage and provide greater biodiversity benefits if revegetated and turned back into natural bushland,” Mr Devine said.
“In other places, as long as the high-use portions of the park are maintained for safe use, the grass in other parts can be allowed to wait a little longer to be mown.”
The management working team will also be working to ensure that council work crews responsible for mowing are either integrated or their efforts are aligned through the works program.
“They will also assess whether the existing mowers and slashers used by the council are the most efficient and suitable for the task,” Mr Devine said. “They will contact other organisations in the region, as well as other councils, to gather information on the subject, before making decisions.”
Mr Devine said about 10 percent of grass areas maintained by the council were sporting fields, many of which are well used, while others were under-utilized.
“Many of these areas are leased to sporting clubs, but in most cases it is rate-payers who pay for the maintenance, including mowing,” he said.
The council will consult all sporting groups who currently lease ovals, as well as the broader community, to explore how to achieve a more equitable distribution of costs.
“A good example in this regard is the Tully Cricket Club, which successfully sought government funding to purchase an out-front mower and now mows the area that they lease to the standard that they require,” Mr Devine said.