Brimbank residents have expressed safety concerns about significant grass and weed growth on median strips across the municipality that have remained unattended.
Local Chris Vella called it an “absolute disgrace”.
“Edges overgrown into gutters, large weeds growing all around traffic lights, every median strip’s grass is overgrown,” Mr Vella said.
“When you’re driving around it makes the whole area look untidy. Obviously with the thunderstorm asthma and pollen risk, with all the seeds that can be released from that grass, it’s not healthy either.”
Mr Vella said the unattended median strips are also a fire risk.
On social media, one resident commented that the growth obstructs views of oncoming traffic when turning right or performing a U-turn at intersections.
Brimbank council infrastructure and city services acting director Matt Durham said council understands the issue is of great concern to the community.
“While Brimbank council had proactively maintained these grassed areas for many years, we recently made the decision to hand back the maintenance of these roads to the state government due to the rising costs of maintenance and the lack of funding from the state to enable council to continue this work,” Mr Durham said.
“Brimbank council has written to the Department of Transport to express its concern and has requested that the department takes urgent action to rectify and maintain these grassy areas.
“We are working to improve the information available via our website, and we will continue to call upon the department to better maintain the grassed areas it is responsible for.”
A Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) spokesperson told Star Weekly grass cutting along Brimbank’s arterial roads was last undertaken in late 2025 with the next cuts scheduled for February.
“We work alongside councils and emergency services to plan our mowing and vegetation management programs, targeting the highest-risk areas as a priority,” the spokesperson said.
“We currently have roadworkers out mowing arterial roadsides right across Victoria as part of our planned maintenance.”
According to DTP, department crews attend to about 45,000 kilometres of roadside grass and weeds each year.
DTP encouraged locals to notify the department of their concerns by calling 13 11 70.
