Daily London
Amanda Blair uses a high quality synthetic turf at her home which is low maintenance and helps her partner’s son’s allergies.
“When my partner was mowing at the previous home, the smell and the grass clippings and things like that just set him off,” Blair said.
The synthetic grass covers the front and back yards but it is the footpath patch that has made her local council see red.
In a letter, Gold Coast City Council advised her to rip it up or face further action.
“Get rid of it and put real grass down and then they will come in and inspect it,” Blair said.
While fake grass on private property is widely allowed, council laws vary on footpath rules.
Ipswich City Council, just like the Gold Coast, doesn’t allow it. Brisbane, Logan, the City of Moreton Bay and Redland councils require residents to apply for permission.
Pedestrian safety is a big consideration when councils weigh up artificial turf.
Other factors can include the impact on neighbours and whether water can drain freely through it.
Gold Coast City Council fears turf could become a trip hazard and attract significant heat.
If residents don’t comply they’ll be fined $834 and council will remove the turf at the residents’ expense.
Blair’s local councillor Nick Marshall is sympathetic.
“This is a really good example of where the resident has a really good reason for why they’re doing what they’re doing,” Marshall said.
“They keep it really well maintained so I hope we can get a good outcome.”
