Fake or natural? It's the big debate among politicians in the ACT - and on the plastic lawns of the newer suburbs of Canberra.

The council in Queanbeyan has just banned artificial grass on new nature strips. The ACT government is considering "its progressive removal and the phasing out of its installation" on public land, like schools and sports fields.

And it may give incentives to people who choose real grass over plastic on their own front and back lawns.

The argument is that fake grass heats up and that's bad for the environment. It is also said to disintegrate into microplastics, and these tiny particles get into the water system. If people breathe them in, it is argued, they can harm their health.

But there is a different view on the plastic lawns of Canberra's newer, outer sub

See Full Page