Grass-cutting resumes in Phoenix as winter draws to a close
Verges and pathways, however, will only be tackled from September once Land Clearance receives final approval from the Senior Management of Supply Chain Management (SCM).
As winter comes to an end, residents of Phoenix can expect to see improved maintenance of public spaces, with grass-cutting operations officially resuming.
This was confirmed by ward 51 councillor, Maggie Johnson, this week.
According to Johnson, play lots across the ward are being cleared by an in-house team of ten brush cutters with the Department of Parks and Gardens, rather than outsourced contractors.
Several play lots from her submitted list have already been attended to, with work still ongoing. In addition, the cutting of open spaces has begun, with brush cutters currently in use. Johnson noted that for the past seven months, grass under the pylons was left unattended due to the absence of tractor drivers.
However, the post for drivers has now been advertised, with shortlisting and interviews completed, raising hopes that all outstanding requests will soon be addressed.
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“The cutting of the open spaces has also started. Brush cutters were being used. For the past seven months, areas under the pylons were not attended to due to not having of tractor drivers. The post for drivers had been advertised, shortlisting and interviews are now complete, and hopefully all requests submitted will be attended to in the near future,” said Cllr Johnson.
Verges and pathways, however, will only be tackled from September once Land Clearance receives final approval from the Senior Management of Supply Chain Management (SCM).
Johnson said this process is in its final stage, after which a new three-year contract will be implemented, running until June 30, 2028. Meanwhile, an official from the Human Settlements Department confirmed that they, too, are awaiting the completion of the SCM process before they can proceed with cutting and maintaining vacant land under their jurisdiction.
Johnson further urged residents with tree pruning requests to contact the Parks and Gardens Department directly by phone, 031 322 1530 or email, [email protected], to obtain a reference number, which will allow for easier follow-ups.
