HE jokingly refers to himself as Morisset’s vigilante mower man – bringing swift street justice to the unruly grass and unsightly waist-high weeds that the council can’t, or won’t, control.
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But Mick Cronan is serious about Morisset getting a fair go.
“All I’m asking is for the Lake Macquarie City Council staff to give the Morisset area the same attention and respect that they apply to other areas of the city,” Mr Cronan said.
He admires the council staff’s work at the northern and eastern side of the lake.
“I’d just like to see them bring the Morisset area up to the same standard as the foreshore from Toronto around to Speers Point, Eleebana and Belmont.”
But rather than simply join the chorus of complaints about council’s activities in the Morisset area, Mr Cronan has opted to do something about it: he’s leading by example.
Armed with just a push mower, brushcutter and blower, Mr Cronan has embarked on a one-man blitz of some of the town’s worst eyesores.
This week he:
- mowed the metre-long grass and removed a pile of discarded bottles from the council-owned strip opposite Morisset Square shopping centre;
- mowed around Morisset Station, and collected rubbish and debris from the station car park on Dora Street; and
- mowed and collected rubbish from Lean Memorial Park, next to The Olde Bakehouse.
Mr Cronan said he hadn’t set out to embarrass the council, nor any private land owners who council relies on to maintain the grass between their properties and the road.
“As I said to mayor Kay Fraser, I’m here to help. I’m not here to have a go at you,” Mr Cronan said.
He said he merely wanted to demonstrate to the council how the locals expected the area to be maintained.
“Hopefully they will follow my lead.”
Take what he did at Lean Memorial Park, for example.
“I got in an removed all of the big fallen branches, and all of the rubbish from around the base of the trees so that when council come back, they can mow the whole park, and keep it up,” he said.
Mr Cronan said ratepayers’ expectations for Morisset had changed.
“We’re not country hicks in Morisset any more,” he said. “Morisset is a growing town of professional people, many of whom commute to jobs in Sydney.”
He said the problem was not that council had insufficient resources, but how those resources were allocated.
“The other day, I counted three council tractor-mowers with slashers between Speers Point and Warners Bay,” he said.
“At Eleebana Park they had a tractor mowing the grass, and it didn’t even need mowing. They mowed it like it was a bowling green.”
Mr Cronan has met with Cr Fraser to discuss his concerns. He said the mayor listened, and “was very nice and helpful”.
He’s hopeful Cr Fraser will “speak to the right people” to ensure some changes are made to the Morisset works schedule.
Mr Cronan continues to liaise with her via text messages, sending her pictures of Morisset eyesores and the rubbish he has collected for council to collect.
A former fitter and mechanic with Rio Tinto, Mr Cronan said he could not maintain his “vigilante” approach long term because he had launched his own business – Michael Cronan Mowing and Handyman Services.
“Once I get really busy with my new business, I won’t be able to keep doing this. I’m not getting paid a cent and, in fact, it’s costing me money in fuel and oil,” he said.
Mr Cronan did not contact the Lakes Mail seeking publicity for his work.
The newspaper was alerted to his activities by appreciative local residents who were rapt to see him mowing the area opposite Morisset Square shopping centre.
One resident described him as “an outstanding citizen”. Another said his community-minded actions set an example that should be publicised.
- Phone Mr Cronan on 0409 162220 to engage him in paid, private work.