Good reasons to ban synthetic lawn

We believe Ashfield has a bright future, and since the installation of underground power, we have seen significant changes already.

We look forward to the improvement of the general streetscapes, and hope that this further encourages residents and owners to continue to take pride in their suburb by improving their verges.

But recently, to our horror, we discovered a new home in Ashfield having synthetic lawn installed.

We fervently believe that this type of verge treatment is neither attractive in the long term nor ecologically friendly.

We applaud the Nedlands council which has banned the use of synthetic lawn on their verges.

Their reasoning, we believe, is that it holds the heat, so children in bare feet and pets cannot walk or play on it in the hotter months.

The synthetic fibres combined with excess heat also create a potential toxic vapour which could prove harmful to health and the general environment.

Invading real grass and weeds ultimately will create an unsightly streetscape problem when not vigilantly dealt with.

Finally, isn’t there enough plastic in the world?

We would urge the Town of Bassendean council to follow the City of Nedlands’ lead and also pass a by-law banning the use of synthetic lawn in our town.