Turf war: council doubles down on fake grass ban

An Aussie council has warned homeowners who fail to comply with its fake grass ban will cop hundreds in fines.

A turf war is erupting as an Aussie council doubles down on its fake lawn ban – warning those who refuse to comply will cop hundreds of dollars in fines.

While many local governments ban artificial front lawns, this council move went viral after a homeowner was ordered to tear up her flawless artificial turf following a single complaint.

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A Gold Coast homeowner has been ordered by council to rip this up.

The City of Gold Coast, which issued the order, insisted its officers must act on all complaints, given “artificial turf is not permitted to be used on the verge of a road due to potential safety hazards”.

“The City regularly receives complaints about various nature strip obstructions and is required to act each time to ensure the Local Laws are being followed,” a spokesman said.

“City officers will firstly issue an advisory notice to inform the landowner of the relevant Local Law breach and allow them time to find a suitable alternative.”

“Failure to comply with the notice may result in an on-the-spot fine of $834.”

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This file image shows a 63.9 degrees celsius surface temp reading of fake grass in an area where the maximum outside temperate hit 41 degrees.

The ban is in place because “artificial turf can become a trip hazard for pedestrians if not properly maintained and attracts significant heat”.

“It also obstructs underground infrastructure that may need to be accessed by a utility company or service provider.”

Mermaid Beach resident Amanda Blair triggered outrage after revealing in her neighbourhood Facebook group that she was ordered to tear up the pristine turf she had on her front verge for the past five years.

“Some idiot has decided to ring council who now demand we rip it up and replace with real grass,” she said. “Yes it’s council land yet they won’t mow it or maintain it. Any advice? Pretty annoyed as we wanted a low maintenance yard.”

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The Gold Coast is not the only council to ban fake grass on nature strips in front of homes.

Locals rushed to her defence, calling the move “ridiculous” and accusing the council of double standards given artificial turf is currently used in community parks and beachfront areas around Burleigh and Miami maintained by the City.

The council said it was now developing new verge guidelines and also suggested residents seek support if they were unable to maintain grass due to medical or financial hardship.

“The City is currently developing guidelines for residents that will clarify what is and is not acceptable on nature strips as well as providing alternative solutions,” the spokesperson said.

“Residents are required to maintain their own nature strips while following the Local Law, however there is support available for people experiencing medical or financial hardship.”

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