Berms
As part of the Long Term Plan 2024-2044 deliberations, a decision was made to stop Urban Berm mowing from 1 July 2024 to save $240,000 per year.
You can find out more on our Community voice plays a major role in Council’s LTP Deliberations news item.
As a result, those living or working in a property adjacent to roadside berms will need to maintain these themselves. For many across our district, they're already doing this. However, Council is aware that for some this will be a new task.
Council’s Open Spaces Maintenance delivery team will continue to maintain weeds on the roadside, particularly those around poles, posts and other service assets.
Following community concerns Council explored options again.
At the November 27th Council meeting, Councillors recently reviewed their initial decision on urban berm mowing. Four options were discussed and council made the following decision:
After robust discussion Council decided to proceed with mowing berms in high visibility areas, including town entrances and specific urban berms along higher-speed roads, prioritising locations where safety and visibility may be affected, at an additional annual cost of $80,000.
Mayor Bernie Wanden says, “I know this is important to many of you and while the decision is a compromise, it aims to address key concerns raised by the community. Council has worked to find a practical solution that balances service delivery while being mindful of the financial pressures for our ratepayers.”
Council notes that changes to berm mowing are not included in the Long Term Plan budget approved in June 2024. The additional $80,000 cost will be met from the existing Growth Reserves budget, with subsequent reductions in levels of service for the current financial year.
Council will now focus on implementing this decision and residents will be kept informed via Council’s communication channels.
It is likely that this decision will not be in force until January to allow for the resourcing to be in place.
Council is continuing to look at providing a guide for residents and businesses on what can be undertaken on a berm for those who are interested in alternative beautification. We aim to provide this in 2025.
Urban Road Reserve Berms
Residents generally maintain their road reserve berms in front (and beside or behind) their properties because they want their street to look smart and well-cared for. This approach is taken to reduce the demand on rates and it recognises that it's the resident who benefits from a tidy and clean berm.
If a resident or business is unable to mow their berm, they may wish to employ a contractor at their own personal cost.
Residents who are physically incapable of mowing their lawn and the berm outside their property may be eligible for an allowance from Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) to assist with the cost of a contractor. Please contact WINZ for more information or take a look at the Work and Income website.
FAQs - Berm
We've put together some common questions we receive from our community about berm mowing and the corresponding answers.
Council’s Open Spaces Maintenance delivery team manages the vegetation on all of our road to road walkways, alongside our reserves, parks and through our town centres.
A berm or verge is usually a grass area between the footpath and your property or business. It can also be the berm around the sides or back of your property.
In the Horowhenua District it's the property owner’s responsibility to maintain the berm outside of their home or business.
Council does maintain some berm areas in the district, including those along key thoroughfares, where berms are too dangerous or too difficult for residents to manage, and those around our reserves and playgrounds.
If there's a property in your neighbourhood that you believe is a health and safety hazard due to an unkept section, you might first try to talk to the property owner. If this doesn't resolve the problem, contact Council to report your concern.
Council takes fire safety seriously, and we encourage residents to report any potential hazards so they can be dealt with promptly. Our Open Spaces Maintenance team will continue to manage weeds around service assets such as poles and posts to ensure that key areas remain safe and tidy.
If there's a property in your neighbourhood that you believe is a fire risk, you might first try to talk to the property owner.
If this doesn't resolve the problem, contact Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to let them know about your concern by completing their Potential Fire Hazard online form for overgrown sections via their website or call 0800 336 942. Please keep in mind that FENZ is here to help with real fire hazards and isn't able to step in when it comes to general property tidiness.
FENZ - Hazards
No, road reserve berms are to be grassed lawn areas only, and should be kept free of vegetation (including vegetables), to ensure safe use of the road and footpath for all users.
If any road reserve planting is deemed to be a hazard, Council can require that it be trimmed or removed. This is for public safety reasons; to ensure clear sight lines and clearance from footpaths, roads, streetlights and drainage.
Yes, this is for public safety reasons; to ensure clear sight lines and clearance from footpaths, roads, streetlights and drainage.
No, Council’s Open Spaces Maintenance Team will maintain a spray band around the edge of a bus shelter but the mowing of the berm is the responsibility of the property owner.
No, road reserve berms should be kept free of vegetation including trees to ensure the safe use of the road and footpath users. We value our residents taking pride in their roadside berms - trees can beautify a street but they also have an ongoing maintenance legacy long after the well-intentioned planter.
The established trees on berms within our district require care. If any road reserve planting is deemed to be a hazard, Council can require it to be trimmed or removed. This is for public safety reasons; to ensure clear sight lines and clearance from impact on footpaths, roads, streetlights, drainage and underground infrastructure.
The decision to stop urban berm mowing was not made lightly. Rising costs left council with limited options, and feedback from the community through the LTP consultation indicated a strong preference for cutting costs.
It’s important to note that Horowhenua was one of the few councils still offering this service, and while we acknowledge that some may be disappointed with the decision, it was made to relieve financial pressure on ratepayers, particularly those on fixed incomes.
This situation highlights the balancing act we face in local government—listening to those who participated in the formal consultation process, where 88% supported cutting berm mowing, versus those who are now raising concerns on platforms like Facebook.
Ultimately, decisions must consider the views expressed during consultation, but we remain committed to listening to all voices and will continue to monitor the situation closely as we move forward.
The full consultation can be found here: Long Term Plan 2024 - 2044
You can also find out more on our Community voice plays a major role in Council's LTP Deliberations news item.
We don’t currently have a bylaw specifically relating to the maintenance of berms. However berms are mentioned and defined in the Horowhenua District Council Land Transport Bylaw 2024 (page 5) as:
'berm means a path or grass strip beside a road and or footpath.'
Land Transport Bylaw 2024
Council is continuing to look at providing a guide for residents and businesses on what can be undertaken on a berm, for those who are interested in alternative beautification.
We're aiming to provide this in 2025. Until then, we appreciate the care and effort residents are putting in to keep their berms looking well-kept.