A patch of overgrown grass along a busy Melbourne thoroughfare has become the unlikely centre of a fresh political clash, with the Victorian Liberals accusing the Allan Labor Government of failing to perform even the most basic duties of governance.
The dispute erupted after Liberal Victoria shared a Facebook post declaring, “This government can’t even do the basics, it’s time to turf them out,” alongside footage of Opposition Leader Jess Wilson pushing a lawnmower along Victoria Parade.
In the video, Ms Wilson says the scene symbolises a wider failure by the state government. “The Allan Labor government can’t afford to mow the grass anymore. So we decided to do it for them,” she said.
“Victoria, it’s time to turf this government out.”
The strip of grass in question runs down the centre of Victoria Parade, where tram tracks divide two starkly different landscapes. On the East Melbourne side, maintained by the City of Melbourne, the grass is lush, green and neatly trimmed. Just metres away, on the Fitzroy side, the grass is often knee-high, dry and discoloured.
While much of Fitzroy falls under the City of Yarra’s control, the neglected nature strip does not. Victoria Parade is a state-owned road, meaning responsibility for its maintenance — including mowing and watering — sits with the Victorian Government.
A long-running stand-off between the state and Yarra Council over who should carry out that work has left the strip untouched, drawing criticism from local leaders. Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly has labelled the situation “embarrassing” and urged the government to step in.
“We’re not in the prairies of North Dakota,” Mr Jolly joked in a video posted late last year, standing beside the overgrown grass. He said several major roads in Yarra are state-owned and have been “neglected”, with no regular cleaning, resurfacing or lawn maintenance.
Mr Jolly warned that if the council were to take over the work, it would cost ratepayers around $1 million.
“The easier solution is the state government actually doing their job,” he said, directly appealing to Premier Jacinta Allan to intervene.
He later told 3AW radio that the City of Melbourne had quietly stepped in on its side of the road because it could afford to do so. “They’re the richest council in Victoria, probably in Australia,” he said.
“They’re three times richer than us, but the other 78 councils don’t have that luxury.”
The issue escalated on Sunday when Ms Wilson arrived at the site with a mower and several Liberal MPs, turning the maintenance dispute into a political statement. Liberal MP Nicole Werner, who also appeared in the video, said the situation showed a government that “can’t do the basics”, adding that “the only thing better than fresh grass is a fresh start”.
3AW host Jacqui Felgate described the contrast along Victoria Parade as a clear example of dysfunction between councils and the state. “On one side it looks like the MCG — perfect,” she said.
“On the other, it’s yellow, high and looks terrible.”
Mr Jolly likened the divide to “North and South Korea”, arguing the council is being forced to absorb costs that the state should bear. He said cost-shifting from the government to Yarra Council amounted to almost $24 million, citing responsibilities such as school crossings and needle collection around the North Richmond injecting room.
Beyond appearances, the mayor warned that the lack of maintenance posed safety risks. A small fire broke out on a nearby nature strip in Collingwood last weekend, which he said was fuelled by long, dry grass.
Asked to clarify who is responsible for mowing nature strips on state roads, a spokesperson for the Premier did not directly answer. Instead, attention was drawn to comments from Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams, who dismissed the Liberals’ actions as a political “stunt”.
She accused the opposition of focusing on theatrics in an election year, saying the government remained focused on stability and investment. “We will stay focused on making Victorians’ lives easier,” she said.
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