IT is no small feat making sure all 795 of Armadale’s parks and reserves look great.
The City of Armadale’s Parks Maintenance team are often up at the crack of dawn, working through rain, hail or shine to mow, prune, plant, clean, mulch and trim their way across as many as five local parks a day.
Parks Maintenance leading hand officer Mark Smith said after more than three decades in the job, it was still the simple enjoyment of working outdoors and giving the public something to enjoy that made him go back to work day after day.
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READ NOW“The parks are the heart of community and we take a lot of pride in maintaining them; if everything is green and healthy, it uplifts the community, it’s pleasant to the eye and more inviting,” he said.
“The standard and the expectations from the community have also changed, people expect well maintained parks with more in them, including playgrounds.
“We take pride in maintaining that standard and providing better amenities for residents.”
He said few realised the team was responsible for a lot more than just looking after the greenery.
“There’s a lot of logistics that are co-ordinated behind the scenes including returfing, changing over sports pitches and goal posts, re-seeding and fertilising and auditing the sports oval lighting, to name a few,” he said.
“Sometimes we get stopped during our work to help members of the public who have lost their dog or their phone and ask us if we have seen them.
“At the end of the day, we all take pride in our jobs. We want our parks and outdoor spaces to be enjoyed by our community, and we enjoy helping make that possible.”
The City is among councils from all over Australia celebrating Parks Week from March 10 to 18, celebrating the role parks play in creating flourishing communities.
Armadale’s Parks Week activities
March 10-25: Magical Park-Augmented reality game for children aged six to 11. Download and play for free at Memorial Park, Rushton Park or Burtonia Gardens. March 12: Free yoga in the park at Memorial Park (6.30am and 6pm). March 17 and 19: Movies in the park at Reg Williams Reserve. March 18: Heron Park Harmony Festival at Jim and Alma Baker Park.
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