Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Electric mowers offer many benefits beyond low emissions.
The ACT Government is charging up Canberra’s rapid response mowing team who are equipped with new electric ride-on mowers this mowing season.
The ACT’s mowing season generally runs from September until March. This gives the team ample opportunity to monitor the new mowers’ effectiveness.
One electric mower was trialled successfully last mowing season.
This season, the new electric models will replace four diesel-powered mowers, to mow over five thousand hectares of grass each mowing cycle.
The change will support the ACT Government’s commitment to achieve zero net emissions from Government operations by 2040.
The new mowers offer benefits beyond low emissions. They require minimal maintenance with no grease points or belts.
They have tubeless tyres which help achieve excellent cutting results and increase rider comfort.
They are also lighter than other machines in the fleet and so have less chance of becoming bogged.
The mowers take about six hours to charge and provide eight hours of run time.
Last season, the mowing team spent more than 35,000 hours on machines mowing across Canberra.
After a busy couple of seasons with high rainfall, this season is not expected to be as wet. It will still be a busy one, however, as a well-watered landscape will provide plenty of moisture for strong grass growth in the coming months.
The mowing team is well prepared to manage grass growth across Canberra this season.
They will be supported by the rapid response mowing team of 10 extra staff and eight additional mowers to help bolster mowing capacity.
There will be a focus on higher priority areas such as those presenting safety issues.
Canberrans can keep up to date on when their suburb will be mown with the mowing map displayed on the City Services website at cityservices.act.gov.au
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