Tauranga residents may notice parks, reserves and roadsides looking a little overgrown as council mowing crews battle the annual spring growth surge.

Tauranga City Council’s city operations team is ramping up mowing, weeding and garden maintenance across more than 10 million square metres of greenery as the city experiences its “spring flush”.

The annual growth spurt from September through February creates significantly more work maintaining the city’s public spaces.

In a council statement, acting head of city operations Alison Law said crews were working hard to keep pace.

“Nature is putting in some overtime right now and we’re working hard to keep pace.

“We appreciate the community bearing with us while we tackle the spring growth surge.”

Law said some areas may take longer to reach, with crews prioritising safety-critical locations including sightlines, pathways, intersections and public-use areas.

Residents were encouraged to contact the council if they see vegetation that appears unsafe or requires urgent attention.

Preparations for the growth season began in April, including increased planting, filling garden beds and a citywide re-mulching programme aimed at suppressing weeds, reducing chemical use and cutting ongoing manual maintenance.

“Extended dry spells can slow grass growth, which might sound great for our mowing teams, but can be tough on our gardens and plantings.

“On the other hand, periods of rain followed by sunshine can create rapid growth, meaning some areas may appear to get away on us more quickly than others.”

The City Operations team maintains 5.64 million square metres of grass, including sports fields, four million square metres of vegetation, wetlands and dunes, and 285,000 square metres of gardens and hedges.

The council is responsible for vegetation control and grass mowing along local roads, while NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is responsible for state highway corridors.

People keen to help with planting, weeding and environmental maintenance can also take part in the council’s volunteer-led environmental programme.