COVID constraints will get Canberra’s annual mowing program off to a slower start this year, despite expected greater grass growth after the wet winter. 

City Services Minister Chris Steel says once the lockdown period ends, the government will take a staged approach to ramping up normal mowing operations as more teams return to work.

But for now irrigated parks and sportsgrounds, which are getting extra traffic as lockdown Canberrans exercise, will be an initial focus for mowing crews, as are roadside intersections to keep grass maintained to a safe level and prevent any line-of-sight issues for drivers.

“After a wet winter when more than 215 millimetres of rain was recorded at the Canberra Airport and above average rainfall forecast during spring, we’re expecting to see grass grow quickly when the warmer weather returns,” Minister Steel said.

“We ask for the community’s understanding and patience as our crews work to mow priority areas across the city while also complying with current health directions.”

The ACT’s annual mowing program normally runs from September to March. Suburbs and areas of open space are mown every four weeks with arterial road areas mown every five weeks.

There are 73 mowers in the fleet with each mower covering an area of 68 hectares every four weeks.