Costs of Mowing Nature Strips Prompt Call for Native Planting Initiatives

Mowing the grass around Aussie cities incurs a hefty expense. For instance, Brisbane City Council is poised to spend $32 million this year on maintaining low grass levels.

While much of the expenditure is allocated to public parks and natural spaces, experts suggest that grassy nature strips could undergo a transformation to save taxpayer money. By replacing these strips with native plants, councils and residents might achieve cost savings and environmental benefits, not only in one city but nationwide.

Native bee expert Clancy Lester voiced his opinion after witnessing council workers use hand mowers on a 2.5 km-long nature strip along a busy road in inner-city Melbourne. Speaking to Yahoo News, he labelled the mowing process a "waste of money and resources."

Nonetheless, Lester perceives an opportunity rather than frustration.

“It makes me feel optimistic because there's real potential for these sites,” he stated. “These little green spaces, sporadically placed throughout cities, could be transformed into high-value biodiversity hotspots.”

Melbourne City Council has been approached for commentary.

Lester, specialising in pollination ecology, highlighted the importance of increasing habitats for Australia's 1,650 native bee species. This increase could boost populations and be beneficial for home gardeners, especially amidst rising cost-of-living pressures.

“They're crucial for pollination. There’s a tremendous diversity of native bees; over 100 species exist within 10 km of the Melbourne Post Office,” he remarked.

“For the last 20 million years, these species have specialised in pollinating and aiding native plants to seed and produce fruits. They're incredibly valuable to those living in cities who cultivate tomatoes or other fruits and vegetables seeking self-sufficiency.”

While not all councils permit residents to transform their nature strips into native gardens, support exists for those allowed to proceed. By entering their postcode into the Wheen Bee Foundation’s Powerful Pollinators Planting Guide, residents can discover species that will thrive and assist insects in their suburb. Many councils also offer guidance on recommended plant species for nature strips.

During the long weekend, Lester utilised social media to promote the advantages of changing resource-intensive grass strips into hubs for native plants.

“We can optimise conditions for pollinators by planting indigenous flowering plants. It's time to elevate our efforts. Anything but lawn,” he advocated.

This concept received favourable responses from his followers, with suggestions including the planting of fruit trees on city streets for fresh produce access. However, care would be required to place bird and bat-attracting species away from busy roads to prevent luring wildlife into traffic.

In a separate video, Sarah Aubrey, the creator of the popular Electrify This TikTok account, shared images of nature strips in Sydney that have already been transformed. “How lovely is this... they don’t require maintenance by petrol mowers,” she commented last week.

“It needs to be like this everywhere,” one individual remarked. “Looks great. I'm doing it,” added another.