Gardener's warning over little-known danger on Aussie roads often neglected by councils
Nathan Stafford tries his best to clear up debris from the streets for the safety of other road users.
A gardener has warned Aussies to keep an eye out for a danger found on many roads that gets worse with rain, as parts of the country brace itself for wet and stormy weather this weekend.
Nathan Stafford armed himself with a shovel and bucket this week and cleaned up debris that had collected around a raised island in the middle of the road in Gladesville, Sydney.
He told Yahoo News the task took him less time than drinking his morning coffee but the safety implications are huge.
"I've seen elderly people walking across these when there's a mess of sticks and leaves," he said. "I saw an old lady trip over one recently and it's not cool. I've seen it [the debris] coming out half a metre on the road and it gets really slippery for cyclists and motorbikes."
🌧️ What La Niña means for Aussie weather over Christmas and New Year
🌱 Gardener warns of 'nightmare' plant costing homeowners 'thousands'
👀 Council defends 'disgraceful' road move after residents erupt
Severe weather could exacerbate road danger in four states
He filmed his clean-up effort and told Yahoo News "it only took me six minutes and 23 seconds" to complete.
"You want things on the road to be kept clean so the rain can drift down properly without blocking up the road and making conditions worse," he said. "It really bugs me because it's easy."
He believes councils should include these clean-ups in their regular maintenance runs and claims he has witnessed council workers "dodge and weave" this task while he's out mowing clients' lawns or tending to median strips.
NSW, as well as Queensland, ACT and South Australia face severe weather over the upcoming weekend, and intense rainfall — or flash flooding — is forecast in some locations. Such an event will leave debris on the road and create hazards for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
"There's a lot of senior citizens that don't have the money or the tools, or even are capable of doing something like this, and they are using the roads... as well as cyclists and motorbikes... we just need to look after them a little bit," he said.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
