4 Apr 2023

Share this story

Unseasonably wintery weather has seen Christchurch and Banks Peninsula littered with leaves earlier than usual.

"Our contractors are already busy sweeping and clearing footpaths following the recent spate of bad conditions,” City Streets Maintenance Manager Steve Guy says.

"While the leaf fall period is typically spread over the months of April through to July, heavy rainfall or high winds can speed up the process."

Mr Guy says the city has a high number of mature deciduous trees we have throughout the city, which means autumn can be particularly busy for contractors.

“Drains can be blocked and footpaths become slippery with leaf build up, so our contractors inspect high leaf fall areas at sufficient frequency to determine when they need cleaning," he says.

"Cleaning is only required when the leaves are over the kerb upstand, or present a Health and Safety issue to users of the footpath, cycleway or carriageway. If there is a build-up of leaves that could cause an issue, the street is swept within 48 hours.”

People can help reduce build-up by clearing leaves from their own berms and gardens and putting them into their green bin. Home gardeners can also pile leaves at the back of garden borders to break down.

“Our contractors walk in front of the sweeper trucks and blow the leaves from the footpath and berms into the channels of the road. A sweeper truck will then come along behind them and remove them from the channels.

"You may see a sweeper truck leaving a street halfway through clearing it, this does not mean that they are finished, just that the truck is full and is off to be emptied. Please give them a few hours to empty the trucks and come back and finish off before picking up the phone and letting us know that the street has been left half finished.

"Please don’t wait for the street to be cleared and then dispose of your own leaves into the street and then call up for the street to be swept again (it happens more than you may think), as this will slow down our ability to get around the city and maintain our full roading network.” Mr Guy says.

“Along with the routine schedule our contractors are on standby to respond to requests that come through the Contact Centre.”

They will inspect and remove leaves that could either stop the flow of stormwater or affect the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

If you see leaves piling up or a block drain, phone the Contact Centre on 03 941 8999 or use the Snap Send Solve app.