A rapid response mowing team will be added to the ACT government arsenal for responding to fast-growing patches of grass as part of a one-year trial to be funded in the upcoming budget.
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The government will employ 10 extra people across three teams as part of its mowing program, so it is better equipped to respond to urgent mowing priorities.
Wetter than usual weather conditions and warm days have added to the government's mowing workload, with the opposition previously calling for more investment in the program.
The rapid response mowing team added to a previous $1.2 million commitment to surge mowing capacity in the previous wet year.
The ACT government is responsible for mowing more than 4300 hectares of suburban land in the territory.
Mowing increased by 43 per cent over 2020-21, as City Services staff kept the grass in check across the equivalent of more than 42,000 hectares. The directorate's annual report said city services mowed 42,075 hectares of land in 2020-21, up from roughly 29,248 hectares in 2019-20.
City Services' Holder depot will also be expanded as part of the government's program to plan 54,000 trees by 2024.
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Eleven staff in the urban treescapes unit will be based at the upgraded depot, while a new toilet block will be accessible to the Weston Valley Archery Club.
City Services Minister Chris Steel said the tree-planting effort was no small job, and the larger Holder depot would make sure the government had the right facilities to deliver on its tree-planting commitment.
"A changing climate means we need to adapt and build resilience. That's why we are trying new ways to keep providing great city services and respond to the community's needs to keep our city beautiful and safe," Mr Steel said.
Chief Minister and Treasurer Andrew Barr will present the ACT budget on August 2.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
