Locals in Kiama, NSW, divided over uncut grass in beachside park as council halts roadside mowing

Why this patch of overgrown green grass beside a scenic beach is fiercely dividing a town’s residents

  • Residents in Kiama, NSW, argue over uncut grass 
  • The overgrown lawn is in a beachside park 
  • Council stopped mowing due to destructive weed

An overgrown patch of grass near a popular Australian beach is dividing locals after council announced plans it would stop all roadside mowing. 

Residents in the  town of Kiama, on the New South Wales South Coast, are slamming the local council for letting a beachside park go overgrown. 

One furious local shared a series of photos to a community Facebook group on Tuesday showing the lawn. 

The grass is so long that a metal railing, which runs the length of the footpath and down to the sand, is completely obscured. 

‘No comment’, the resident captioned the images.  

Residents in town of Kiama, on the South Coast of NSW, are angry over an uncut patch of grass in a beachside park (pictured)

The grass is so long that a metal railing, which runs the length of the footpath and down to the sand, is completely obscured (pictured)

The grass is so long that a metal railing, which runs the length of the footpath and down to the sand, is completely obscured (pictured)

Some locals agreed with the man, with many labelling the council lazy as the patch of grass grows higher and higher.   

‘Kiama Municipal Council, what the hell is going on!’ one person commented. 

‘We noticed it on our walk this morning, it’s been getting progressively worse,’ another person wrote.

A third added: ‘That’s what you call a council bludger. When I used to live at Kiama in 2004 they used to keep it clean and everybody used to lay on the grass.’

One local said they spotted an elderly resident mowing the nearby Eureka Reserve so that people could walk their dogs without losing their beloved pets. 

However, other locals welcomed the ‘lush’ change and claimed the person who posted the pictures needs to ‘chill’. 

‘Mate the grass is growing quicker than you can sink a cold beer on a hot summer’s day so just enjoy the beach and chill my dude,’ one person wrote.  

‘Get over it brother. There are more important things to worry about, seriously,’ a second person chimed. 

Kiama Municipal Council paused all roadside mowing operations on March 23 to spray for an aggressive weed which threatens the local dairy industry. 

One elderly man was seen mowing the grass in the nearby Eureka Reserve so that people could walk their pets (pictured). Kiama Municipal Council stopped all roadside mowing to prevent the spread of a destructive weed known as Giant Parramatta grass

One elderly man was seen mowing the grass in the nearby Eureka Reserve so that people could walk their pets (pictured). Kiama Municipal Council stopped all roadside mowing to prevent the spread of a destructive weed known as Giant Parramatta grass

The council explained in a statement that Giant Parramatta grass is currently in seed, which can easily be spread by machinery.  

‘Giant Parramatta grass (GPG) is a tall, aggressive perennial grass (native to tropical Asia) that poses an emerging threat to our local dairy industry,’ the council wrote. 

‘The grass invades pastures and replaces productive grass types used for grazing. It is currently in seed, which means it can be easily spread by water, wind and machinery (it can produce as much as 85,000 seeds per square metre).’

Council said it will resume roadside mowing once The Illawarra District Weeds Authority gives the ‘all clear’ after it finishes spraying for Giant Parramatta grass. 

One Facebook user highlighted the council’s announcement but the author of the post argued the park was not considered ‘roadside’.  

‘Yeah I saw that … but [a] surf beach carpark wouldn’t be roadside.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kiama Municipal Council for further comment.  

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk