Funding previously used to mow grass verges in the Roxburgh township has been redistributed within the open spaces budget for the Teviot ward.

Prior to the Teviot Valley Community Board meeting in April 2024, the Board asked Central Otago District Council staff to prepare a report regarding the continuation of mowing the grass verges in the Roxburgh township.

It was discovered that a few years back a decision was made to regularly mow the town’s verges, even though this was not generally a function of councils around New Zealand because of the cost and would normally be the responsibility of property owners. 

Roxburgh was the only town in the district where this was being done.

The total open spaces contract budget for Teviot Valley is $159,000, and in the past three years, the Council had spent about $26,000 mowing verges. 

It was decided at the Teviot Valley Community Board’s April meeting the service would discontinue, and that the grass verge budget be redistributed across other costs centres within the open space contract for other work such as track, garden and tree maintenance operations. 

This means Council will not be mowing grass verges, except those adjacent to Council land from this spring onwards.

Instead, Roxburgh residents will now be responsible for mowing the grass verge outside their properties.

This change has been reflected in the Annual Plan and would be factored into the Long-term Plan.