ELSA Grossi is waging a turf war against Cairns City Council. 

The Gordonvale resident is fed up with the overgrown verge in front of her home and wants the council to clean it up or reduce her rates.

"That's council property, why should I have to mow it?," Ms Grossi said.

The 72-year-old said she paid someone to mow the lawn inside her fence.

However, she refused to pay to cut the grass on the footpath.

"The footpath has almost twice as much grass as we've got in our yard," she said.

"I would be happy to mow the footpath if they reduced my rates.

"All of the people cutting the footpath are only doing it because it looks better, but me I don't care.

"They are just saving the council money."

A Cairns City Council spokeswoman said every resident in Cairns was responsible for mowing their own verge "as residents do in other towns and cities in Australia".

"If the council was to mow every verge, a massive workforce would be required and would have to be funded by the ratepayers," the spokeswoman said.

"I don't think ratepayers would be in favour of that when the vast majority do the right thing."