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Residents of a neighbourhood in western Ōrewa say council is not maintaining a reserve near their homes sufficiently, resulting in an overgrown eyesore that attracts pests and littering.
Council disputes this, however, saying the reserve is maintained in line with requirements.
The reserve is on the corner of Oro Lane and Davey Crescent, in the Arran Hills subdivision nestled between the top of Grand Drive and State Highway 1.
Dr Loy Fernandes, a dentist who lives near the reserve, said it’s mown on average only once every 12-14 weeks – unless a specific complaint is lodged.
He said residents’ efforts to get council to maintain the site more often have been unsuccessful.
Council bought the land from the subdivision’s developer in 2020. Fernandes said council only started doing any maintenance at the site after he drew its attention, two years ago, to the fact that its upkeep was council’s responsibility.
“Ever since then, we have to keep reminding them to mow the lawns due to presence of mice, cockroaches and even glass bottles,” he said.
Fernandes said residents felt the grass should be mown every three weeks, not every three or four months which he claimed was now the case.
He provided copies of emails he and other neighbours have sent to council, including to specific officials responsible for maintenance on the Hibiscus Coast.
“As a resident, it’s disheartening to see this space, which should be a pleasant and well-maintained area for the community, neglected,” one neighbour wrote. “The residents have always been understanding of the occasional delays caused by weather conditions, but recurring delays are becoming a concern.”
When Hibiscus Matters visited the site on January 25, the grass was unkempt and at least knee-high in places, although no litter was immediately evident. Queries were sent to council, and the next day, the site was mown.
Sandra May, council’s manager area operations Hibiscus & Bays/Upper Harbour, confirmed that the reserve is maintained by council, through a contractor.
“The reserve is intended to be mown so the grass stays within an assigned specification of up to 125mm in length,” she said.
May said that at times of year when grass grows quickly, visits are spaced every two weeks, but when growth rate is slower – at the height of summer and the height of winter – the grass does not require mowing as often.
“This may explain a longer gap between services and could also be attributed to partial mows when the ground conditions are unfavourable, or no mowing at all if the scheduled service date falls in or after torrential rain.”
May said any decision to mow partially, or not at all, aims to prevent damage to the turf from the mowers and to ensure operator safety.
She said the Oro Lane reserve had been mown six times in the last five months, and was next scheduled to be mown on February 14. Checks by council contractors in the last week had found no loose litter at the site.
Asked about mowing schedules and standards across the city, May said council has varying specifications, depending on each location, which determines the frequency of mowing.
Resource consents for the Arran Hills subdivision required the site in question, known as lot 803, to be bought by council for “recreation reserve” purposes.
