OPINION
Nothing is off limits for councils to ban these days it seems, even if it makes our lives better and the community a prettier place.
Right now, synthetic grass is the latest item to fall foul of Aussie councils and their nanny-state laws.
But if my experience is anything to go by, synthetic or fake grass is a blessing.
Faced with the prospect of a large backyard that had become little more than a post-apocalyptic wasteland, getting fake grass was a pretty easy household choice to make.
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Like a billiard table.
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Five or 10 years I probably wouldn’t have even considered it. But after doing my research, speaking to the relevant people and discovering what was on offer today the deal was done.
Mobile phones aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago, are they? The cars we drive have completely changed over that time too.
So has synthetic grass.
The days of slimy, wet, bile green outside carpet fake grass is long gone. These days you can pretty much have the same synthetic grass in your backyard or on the verge at the front of your house as they do in the billion dollar stadiums in the US.
FAKE GRASS SOLVED SO MANY PROBLEMS
I’m not sure that THE Aussie councils and the so-called experts who seem to have it in for fake grass are up to date on the most recent developments.
For my family of two young boys and the world’s greatest Golden Retriever, the new grass has solved so many problems.
The supposed environmental and health issues that opponents of fake grass, have fallen the other way for us.
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Real grass can cause plenty of issues.
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After several years living at our new home, our sizeable backyard had become something of a no-man’s land. Just a sad mess of dirt and dust and what could be. Like something out of Mad Max 2.
A lack of sun on the backyard made it difficult to grow grass, the constant returfing of natural grass was getting expensive and an area that two young boys and their friends would usually run amok, wasn’t getting used.
What parts didn’t resemble a minefield, the dog was making sure they soon did.
The cost of installing synthetic grass can be rather expensive. However in comparative terms it is rather budget friendly. Fake turf might cost around three times as much as natural turf but it can last up to 10 times longer. We have had it for three years and it still looks brand new.
And at first glance, and even second and third look the fake turf looks as good if not better than any natural turf.
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Some councils have moved to ban fake grass on verges.
But natural grass like this doesn’t exactly look great, Picture: Tom Huntley
I have read about the claims that fake grass doesn’t drain as well as the real thing and can lead to flooding. We live at the bottom of a hill and in years gone by the yard would also get flooded in heavy rain that resulted in water lapping to the back door.
That has never happened since we have had the new grass and it was a semi-regular occurrence in the old days.
The team that installed the fake grass spend three days meticulously working on the irrigation and draining of our yard and it has been near flawless since.
Now a space that was never used has now become a regular footy field, pickle ball court and dog-wrangling area almost every afternoon and every weekend.
If you want to talk about health benefits, kids who were previously spending too much time online because a play outside could have meant a sprained ankle are now running around and around and around until dusk. Like all kids should.
New grass and new pickleball court.
HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE
Much to my wife’s delight, the dirt and God knows whatever else was being traipsed into our home from no-man’s land in previous times, isn’t happening now. It’s a much cleaner house as a result.
And the dude who I thought would be the biggest critic, our Goldie Harry who cast a very sceptical, continuous eye during the three-day update of the backyard loves it the most.
He lies out there all in the time, in the sun, the rain night and day. It’s his bed every night and he doesn’t need an invite to get out there and play with the kids when things get happening.
There’s been no allergic reactions to the grass from Harry or the kids.
The yard is surrounded by greenery, trees and bamboo. It’s still abundant with birds and insects and possums. So I can’ see that the new grass has sent them on their way.
The new grass can get hot, but that’s usually just in the middle of the day. And a fall on it can hurt but it is still much better than the uneven ground we used to have.
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Synthetic grass at Arlington Recreation Reserve in Dulwich Hill. Fake grass has come a long way. Picture: Craig Greenhill
More and more homes around the neighbourhood are embracing the idea of fake grass. It’s a common topic of conversation at the local dog park.
And on my weekly runs with Harry, I can see that more and more homes are using synthetic grass to beautify verges at the front of their home. That were once dirty, dusty areas that looked like something out of the Walking Dead.
Our local footy field has followed suit and been completely relaid with fake grass, it hosts first grade rugby union games in the winter and there are very few complaints.
If it’s good enough for billion-dollar NFL stadiums in the US, surely it’s good enough for Aussie councils?
If one a council’s main jobs it to keep its LGA looking good, then surely this fits the bill. Especially if homeowners rather than councils foot the bill.
This bloke loves the synthetic stuff the most. And can you really tell the difference?
I can understand the concerns over the plastic grass but if you look online you can find many providers that pride themselves on their renewable and sustainable options.
And it’s not like the water and another resources used to grow real turf and then maintain it are used in a very environmentally sound way.
It’s hard to believe Aussie councils want resident to rip up pristine fake grass at the risk of a fine because it “may contain microplastics”.
Trying to demonise it in the same way they have gas.
Synthetic grass has come a long way in recent years. Councils need to catch up.
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