Cardinia Shire Council has agreed to expand its contracts for mowing and landscaping across the shire as new housing developments continue to add more parks, gardens, and public spaces.
At the council meeting on June 16, councillors voted to amend agreements with three contractors—Green by Nature, UDLM, and Antler Environmental.
The changes will allow them to take on additional sites and update the maintenance of existing areas under the provision of open space mowing and horticultural services across the shire.
Council officers said the extra work is needed because each year the shire takes on about 10 hectares of new lawns and 2 hectares of garden beds, mostly in fast-growing areas like Pakenham and Officer.
The change in contract also depends on many factors, including timing, contractor allocation and asset size. Often leading to variations between budgets and actual expenditure.
The cost of maintaining public spaces, including mowing, gardening and landscaping, is expected to reach about $8.5 million by the 2026–27 financial year.
A review of how often services are delivered and the standards of care will be carried out in 2026 before the council decides whether to extend the contracts further.
Councillor Collin Ross explained that contract amendments are a normal part of managing growth corridors.
“This is a pretty standard in a growth corridor. You have people who win the maintenance contracts, and as assets get passed over from the developer to the Council, it expands the area of responsibility they have.
“Naturally, that doesn’t come at no cost—it comes with amendments to the price we pay these people.”
Councillor Brett Owen said there has been a 25 per cent reduction in customer complaints about maintenance, reflecting stronger contractor accountability and improved response times. He also noted the contractors are performing well and delivering consistent service.
“I remember before we appointed these contractors, councillors were getting lots of these complaints, and now we’ve seen it turn around.
“I acknowledge the great work that the contractors are doing. Our parks and gardens look so much better since they’ve had it, which is great.”
The motion passed unanimously, with all nine councillors voting in favour.
