It took six weeks, a politician and a phone call to the media for one Maitland resident to be able to take his daughter to the local duck pond.
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Nathan Goodwin is one of several residents fed up with a lack of maintenance in the public parks and walkways of Maitland.
Mr Goodwin said he alerted Maitland City Council to the overgrown and untidy appearance of the park surrounding Telarah Lagoon on January 4.
“I come here every few weeks and bring the kids down to see the ducks,” he said. “But lately it has been so atrocious I haven't been able to.”
Mr Goodwin turned to councillor and independent state candidate Philip Penfold for help.
Cr Penfold took the issue to council on February 10 and park maintenance was finally completed last week.
“Even now that the crews have been, it still needs a good whipper snip and they always forget the memorial rock on the highway side of the lagoon,” Mr Goodwin said. “If that was my crew I would fire them.”
Ruth Higginbottom, from Ashtonfield, is another resident with a grievance against the council's maintenance schedule.
The vegetation either side of the public path at the end of Luzon Street has grown to shoulder height and impedes the walkway.
“This is where people walk every day,” she said. “In some places it is five foot high. I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Ms Higginbottom said she had called council numerous times to request maintenance, but was yet to see a work crew at the site.
“I worry because there is a brown snake that lives down there and school children use the pathway every day,” she said.
Teresa Carlson, also of Ashtonfield, says the site needs immediate attention.
Her daughter uses the path every day to get home from school and she said she was scared because of the possibility of snakes in the long grass.
“You just don't know what could be in there,” she said.
Council released a statement that said work at Telarah Lagoon had been completed.
“Council has a full mowing program to maintain public parks, reserves and sporting ovals.
“The recent wet weather and peak growing season has had an impact on the mowing schedule.
“Priority is given to open spaces during these peak periods, however council is making very good progress in returning to the normal schedule.”
