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Thread: Council roadside mowing

  1. #1
    Member hjl's Avatar
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    Default Council roadside mowing

    Anyone do council roadside mowing? What is involed with it? The tender has just come up for my local council and would like a heads up on the deal. Is it a good earner or a money pit? I would need to buy some big gear so would have to get the tender first before doing that. Any thoughts would help.
    hjl

  2. #2
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Spotless seem to have the tender at all the councils across north queensland and there guys stand around doing nothing most the time. Ive never seen the tender for oour local council other than for the pensioner yards. I would work out your repayments on the machine and how many hours it would take you. Make the monthly payment covered every week on top of what you want for the hours it takes. If you dont get it well then let it slide i dont really worry about tenders anymore as they usally have someone picked before they begin i fill in the forms but never expect to hear back. sorry couldnt be anymore help.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
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  3. #3
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    I don't know about you banana benders but down in my area you would be lucky to get 3c a metre unless your the company that has the actual contracts from the council.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Usually not very loyal when it comes time to renew the contract approach with caution. Maybe up your way it works different to here but i wouldn't over commit in order to get it.

  5. #5
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    In Sydney, the council tenders are very much price driven, i was going to tender for one down here in Sydney, a North Shore council where after a gardener for about 150 hours per year, 2 year contract. The winner, $25 per hour. Hmmm, say no more.

  6. #6
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Can't remember his username but there's a guy on here from the Northern Territory who does contract roadside mowing. Others might remember his name?

  7. #7
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    You often have to put financials don too just started filling out a tender for the public trustee and there asking for 6 months of financials. However if they asked for financials of someone saying 25 an hour they certainly wouldnt have any and when they go bust the council would quickly have to find someone to take over the tender.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
    We do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care
    find us on facebook under Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care

  8. #8
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    I remember when i was offered a nature strip to quote here in SA,from glen Osmond to Murray bridge which was 70 kms long .I turned it down as the more i thought about it the more problems i could see,it was just too much.That was 30 years ago.

  9. #9
    Member regester64's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Dont know what they would pay. Just Relise you will be running over beer cans / stubbies branches tyres rocks etc. imagine it would be hard on mowers.

  10. #10
    Member courty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    I wouldn't even consider it if I had to buy equipment for it.
    "I'm not alone cause the tv's on yeah,I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills.... everyday" Jimmy Eat World

    http://www.dreamlawnsandlandscapes.com

  11. #11
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Every contract group I see doing this do a ****ty job. I ask myself why. The answer is they are on such a tight schedule to get the number of cuts in they have to rush things and have no quality control. Councils want it done for the cheapest price. In my local council area I would sack the lot of them. Totally useless and do a terrible job. I have clients with pristine verges I look after and these idiots come through and wreck it. Annoys me no end. Watch them next time you see a crew working. I have asked them to stay away from lawns I look after but just about every time they come through some idiot wrecks my edges with a whippy or scalps the lawn with a ride on.
    Cheers

    Bluey
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    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  12. #12
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Quote Originally Posted by courty View Post
    I wouldn't even consider it if I had to buy equipment for it.

    I reckon it would be a certainty you would need to buy equipment and employee staff. Most Councils want at least 3 cuts per year. Work that out across the entire Council area and it is massive. The blokes who do it in my area have 3 or 4 guys on whippys , a couple more on blowers and a couple on ride ons in each crew. In another Council area they even have mini street cleaners going to clean up the grass in the gutter. Big outlays and no certainty your going to renew the contract either.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  13. #13
    Member Of Forum warren higgins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    stay away from council work unless you already own your equipment , i agree that you need to get the work first but from experience councils show no loyalty, crap money usually half of what you should be getting leave it to huge contractors who pay there staff bugger all so they can charge less to get the tenders

  14. #14
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    exactly correct warren,the big boys pay their boys absolute minimum , i know one large company thats makes their employee pay for any damage they caused to the machines...they are tight with wages thus cut volume and a lot cheaper prices that we could do....thats why they get all the big commercials..PRICE and the ability to do volume...

  15. #15
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Council roadside mowing

    Quote Originally Posted by Bluey View Post
    Every contract group I see doing this do a ****ty job. I ask myself why. The answer is they are on such a tight schedule to get the number of cuts in they have to rush things and have no quality control. Councils want it done for the cheapest price. In my local council area I would sack the lot of them. Totally useless and do a terrible job. I have clients with pristine verges I look after and these idiots come through and wreck it. Annoys me no end. Watch them next time you see a crew working. I have asked them to stay away from lawns I look after but just about every time they come through some idiot wrecks my edges with a whippy or scalps the lawn with a ride on.
    Our council guys see that the front has been mowed and snipped by someone else in the last month and they skip it and go to the next.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
    We do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care
    find us on facebook under Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care

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