A City Services crew on the job in Spence. The government is building up its maintenance capacity. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
If there is anything that gets Canberrans antsy, it’s the sight of long grass, cracking path pavements and potholes.
In the last few years, that’s been a defining picture of the national capital thanks to La Niña’s persistent wet seasons – and that’s not a good look for what should be a showcase city.
The capital is much more than the Parliamentary triangle or National Capital Authority-controlled land.
Canberra continues to grow, so the scope of the work to maintain it is also expanding, which is why the ACT Government’s decision to create in-house crews in City Services instead of relying on contractors to fix paths and formalise the temporary boosts to mowing and tree maintenance teams, is welcome.
City Services kept waiting for the rain to stop, and when it didn’t, surge tactics were employed to stay on top of the grass, shrubs and trees that are intrinsic to the bush capital.
The moves in Tuesday’s Budget (25 June) recognise that the seasons are more unpredictable and storm events more common.
So a tick for Minister Tara Cheyne for getting out on the ground to see for herself what is needed.
But people had been complaining before the wet arrived about the shabbiness in the suburbs, something the Canberra Liberals have picked up on.
They argue that ratepayers deserve to have their suburbs kept in good nick, and that should be a priority for the government.
The big wet obviously exacerbated the situation, but it showed how exposed a city with such a high level of vegetation and open space is to seasonal fluctuations.
So it is surprising that the establishment of permanent government teams has taken so long. No doubt there is plenty of scope for growth, given Canberra’s continuing expansion.
The minister herself has acknowledged that contractors may not have the background knowledge or understanding of the context of a situation to ensure that work is not only done but followed up on.
Canberra operates at both a territory level with state-like functions and also at a local government level, where residents expect basic services will be provided.
An increase in attention to maintaining the natural estate will provide good jobs and keep the capital as tidy as it can be, depending on the weather.
It will cost more, and no doubt many will argue that it will be a better use of their rates than some of the other spending that goes on.
Competition for resources is a fact of life in government, but services should start from the ground up.
The place doesn’t need to be Versailles. After all, sometimes the bush is a little unkempt. But it is important that City Services have the staff and equipment to keep Canberra clean, safe and attractive.
Any government that commits to this will be well received by voters.
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