South Australian council removes ban on residents laying artificial grass on road verges

A debate over artificial turf and its contribution to urban heat is warming up after the City of Marion council in metropolitan Adelaide removed a ban on residents laying it on the road verge.

City of Marion councillors last week voted against staff guidelines to allow artificial grass on the verge as an alternative to lawn - a practice popular across the country during the millennium drought when strict water restrictions were in place.

Gardening Australia host Sophie Thompson said she recently used an infrared thermometer to measure the radiant heat of artificial turf in Murray Bridge and measured it at 66 degrees Celsius.

Thompson told ABC Radio Adelaide “bitumen was 10 degrees cooler than fake turf, and the dolomite was cooler too.

"So too was concrete, at about 11 degrees cooler."

Thompson said roadside verges were an "amazing opportunity to create urban habitats" and could, for example, be turned into butterfly gardens.

She added “urban habitat is under threat and every backyard can make a difference

"And when you've got a verge, you can plant out with local indigenous plants; it would be a haven for birds and butterflies and native bees."

City of Marion Deputy Mayor Luke Hutchinson moved to overturn the ban on artificial grass last week, which resulted in a tied vote that was eventually resolved by Mayor Kris Hanna.

In a tweet, Hutchinson said common sense had prevailed, stating “if a resident wishes to install artificial turf, a robust application process will ensure quality products and maintenance will be required."

Mayor Hanna said he understood it was not "the most environmentally optimum surface to have on the footpaths".

He added “on the other hand, I felt the dilemma of a private resident who has fake lawn in their backyard and front garden and can't then have it going right down to the gutter.”

A poll on its social media page also showed 73% of respondents against it, although one person pointed out that while synthetic lawns heated up quickly, other surfaces like concrete retained heat much longer.

Last year, the AFL and Cricket Australia began recommending the of artificial turf in replacing grass on sports grounds in drought stricken regions of South Australia.