8 March 2022
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Berm mowing
Enquiry
I've spoken to a lady at 700 Te Ngae Rd who claims the berm outside her place (she's on the corner of Te Ngae and Alfred Rd, she's referring to the berm on both sides) hasn't been mowed since about November (she says four months but also says it was end of November or beginning of December). She understands the berm is council land. I've visited and the grass is indeed quite overgrown.
She claims she's asked the council about six times by phone to attend to the lawns.
I have her comments to supply for the council's right of reply and would also like to clarify:
- Is the berm indeed council land? (If not, if you can let me know who or what owns it that would be helpful, and all other questions can be disregarded).
- How many times has Ms Baggaley contacted the council about this issue, according to the council's records (ie is her claim correct)?
- Why hasn't the council/Infracore mowed the lawns on the berm outside this property?
- When will the council mow this grass?
COMMENTS
Angie Baggaley, 73, says she has called Rotorua Lakes Council at least six times over four months to come and mow the lawn, which is now a metre high in some places, to no avail.
Baggaley, who has lived at her Te Ngae Rd home for about 18 years, told Local Democracy Reporting she couldn’t mow the lawn herself due to a hip issue but said it was the council’s responsibility anyway.
“Just send a bloody ride on out here and just mow it.
“I’m getting sick [of waiting]. I’m at a loss. We pay our rates, why can’t they keep up? Why are they not doing what they’re supposed to do?”
Baggaley said she didn’t want to see more “monuments and statues” - such as the Hemo Gorge sculpture and the redeveloped Rotorua lakefront – when the council couldn’t “get the basics done”.
She said as her place was near the exit to Rotorua from the airport it didn’t contribute to a good first impression to visitors.
“Come to Rotorua and have a great time, well, if you can get through the grass you could.
“It doesn’t take a bloody genius to mow a … lawn does it?”
Response
From DCE Infrastructure and Environment Stavros Michael:
Rotorua Lakes Council does not routinely provide, or rate for, berm mowing services and having looked into this particular situation, we have found that these berms were being mowed in error by our contractor, which stopped late last year when the error was picked up.
This change was not, however, communicated to Ms Baggaley as it should have been. We apologise for that, have spoken to her again today and will follow up with her further.
We will get the berms mowed in the meantime, while we work through what needs to happen in future.
Like local authorities across New Zealand, we see these berms as property frontages and how well they are kept impacts on the attractiveness of properties. Normally residents mow berms outside their properties. Family, neighbours and friends often assist where people are not able to do this themselves or if they do not have a contractor they pay to do their lawns. MSD support may also be available to some pensioners.
Re ownership of the berms: They are owned by Council and their purpose is to enable utilities and potential future road enhancements as traffic demand grows. As above, council does not provide routine berm mowing services and these berms were being mowed in error.
Re calls from Ms Baggaley: We have three calls on record but may not have kept a record of all calls received.