“The smiles say it all”: On the frontline with a Verge Mower

“I have had some genuinely nice conversations with residents and even made some young kids’ entire weeks by letting them look close up at the ride-on mower while they were out for their morning walk with mum or dad,” he explained.

“The smiles say it all.”

But residents shouldn’t be fooled by Luke’s unofficial title of “Verge Mower”.

His role primarily involves mowing verges on major roads to support lines of sight and reduce fire hazards, rather than mowing local roads.

“I think a lot of people are surprised when I tell them I mow their street twice yearly. Some people don’t realise the City actually provides this service along major roads,” he said.

Being behind the controls of a ride-on mower gives Luke a unique front-row seat to daily life across the City's suburbs.

And while he's happy to do the hard yards, there are a few simple ways residents can help make the job safer and easier, including keeping verges clear of litter and stored items.

“It would be good to remind the residents that I’m doing a job to elevate verge presentation and would much appreciate residents getting on board by providing unobstructed access,” he said.

Residents are sometimes surprised to learn that the City generally only mows verges on selected major roads. The ongoing maintenance of local road verges is the responsibility of the adjacent householder.

However, where vegetation on a local road verge becomes overgrown to the point that it creates a visibility or safety concern, the City may get involved to assist with bringing the verge to an acceptable standard.

To learn more about what you can (and can’t) do with your verge or ask us a question visit the On the Verge project webpage.