Waverley resident Judy Fulton said over the past year, moss and lichen growth on streets was the worst she had seen.
In the past seven months she had broken two wrists in unrelated incidents, which had made her aware of fall risks caused by slippery vegetation.
"The streets in Dunedin are in disrepair.
"It’s starting to look very, very tatty and it’s all over the place," Ms Fulton said.
She said the vegetation had increased over winter and she had noticed a Dunedin City Council contractor wasterblasting the problem areas, but he had been unsuccessful in removing the moss.
Ms Fulton had not yet informed the council about her concern, but she wanted to see action.
"It’s getting worse. I just want to see some action and some effort to make this safe."
Ms Fulton said the moss and lichen posed a risk not just to the elderly, but to those with mobility issues and mothers with prams.
She said it was especially dangerous in areas that were sloped, or that got little sun.
A council spokesman said it was aware some shaded parts of city streets could have problems with moss during winter.
It was incorrect to suggest roads and footpaths were in disrepair, he said.
Contractors worked year-round to prevent weeds and other vegetation from appearing in council-owned areas.
The work included spraying in spring and summer to cover the entire street network at least twice in a six-month period.
During the winter, the council regularly waterblasted the worst affected areas, as was the case in Waverley.
The council dealt with complaints and requests for additional work on a case-by-case basis, he said.
