A couple of years ago it was Campbelltown Council copping it over lack of maintenance issues, especially grass mowing in public places and even nature strips.
And, well, that council had one very good reason it was getting behind on its maintenance around the town: two big wet years, 2021 and 2022.
We’re into 2024 and it seems it’s Liverpool Council’s turn to have residents up in arms over what one called “the grass in our parks is taller than my children’’.
Ironically, the Liverpool mayor, the notorious Ned Mannoun, recently embarked, or at least announced, a “back to basics’’ agenda.
There’s nothing more basic for a local council than keeping up with maintenance, from mowing grass to picking up dumped mattresses from the side of the road.
Unfortunately for our Ned, he can’t blame the weather, because apart from a heavy summer thunderstorm now and again it’s been relatively dry over summer.
And with a council – and mayoral election – this September, such a mess could mean trouble for the Liberal Party and their mayor in Liverpool Council.
On the other hand, for independent candidates like Michael Andjelkovic it’s manna from heaven.
Andjelkovic’s been getting inundated with snippets from residents unhappy with the council over lack of maintenance issues, but mainly long grass that should have been mowed a while ago.
“The grass is growing faster than the LCC staff can cut it at present,’’ Mr Andjelkovic says in an email to me and other stakeholders.
“With over 100 staff that are supposed to be maintaining our parks and open spaces in Liverpool why is this happening?
“Residents are getting back to basics themselves, cutting the grass to be able to use the park,’’ he says, adding that he received a video showing just such an event in Black Muscat Park, Chipping Norton, pictured top.
“Back to basics, ha ha! Promises that never materialise, all smoke screens and glitter,’’ another resident told Andjelkovic.
“No action taken, nowhere to complain. This place needs a major cleanup,’’ the resident said.
After the last council election when Ned Mannoun won the mayoral vote, a smart alec Liberal Party operative berated me, in private, for being too dumb to realise that Ned Mannoun is seen as the messiah of Liverpool.
Maybe, but it’s a shame that this messiah can’t even get the grass cut around Liverpool.
Talking about all things green.
Campbelltown Council – ‘What happened to the 250 metres of beautiful hedging along Rose Payton Drive, one of our main visual entrances to the City and Stadium.
As someone who now walks past a barren dust bowl gathering more weeds every day, I am getting ‘crankier and crankier’, at what I consider Council vandalism.
Or, am I totally wrong and something beautiful is going to replace our wonderful hedge.
Hope so, but doubt it !!
The “back to basics” catchcry at the previous Council elections appears to have been abandoned. I also wonder why the disproportionate focus, and allocation of funds, to address the backlog of Development Applications appears to be Liverpool Councils’ main objective, I wonder why?
Councillors receive weekly reports on the status of DA’s but do not focus on outstanding Customer Service Requests, the bulk of these concentre on issues such as potholes, lack of grass cutting and illegal dumping.