Norwood, Payheham & St Peters employs ‘footpath co-ordinator’ to help eliminate trip hazards
A NEW ‘footpath co-ordinator’ has been hired in Adelaide’s east, to identify and eliminate tripping hazards.
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A NEW “footpath co-ordinator” will work to eliminate tripping hazards as Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council takes a more proactive approach to its ageing path network.
The co-ordinator, who started work on August 8, will identify issues and implement a regular maintenance program as the council moves away from a historically reactive approach.
Cr Sue Whitington told elected members at last week’s NP & SP Council meeting it was a “badly needed” move.
“I’m surprised we haven’t done it before,” Cr Whitington said.
The new role came as local residents fronted the council meeting to share their concerns about the paved footpaths in Norwood.
Residents Hugh and Trish Grevile believed poor maintenance had created trip hazards, with raised or missing pavers posing a danger for pedestrians.
They also raised issues with seed pods from Queensland box trees.
“Pavers are our main concern,” Mr Grevile told last week’s council meeting.
“Church St is not very good at all.”
Cr Paul Wormald said ageing footpaths and roads badly needed maintenance and they should be inspected “at least annually”.
“The footpath pavers in Church St were among the first laid in a suburban street by the old Kensington and Norwood Council and are therefore at least 25-years-old,” Cr Wormald said.
“And there are many more locally laid more than 20 years ago.
“We found in our investigation that many have sections of raised or damaged or missing pavers, often due to tree or past developer action.
“These pose a serious health and safety risk to their users and it seems … their maintenance is not a priority in the city’s footpath program.”
He said repairs only followed residents’ complaints, rather than through a regular
maintenance program.
“In a city whose houses in Norwood and elsewhere sell on average for more than $1 million, the footpaths and other council infrastructure outside these homes has to be maintained at a standard where they are readily usable by these owners without risking their life and limb,” he said.
A council spokeswoman said footpath works were scheduled on an asset register — updated every five years — but it did not prioritise footpath trip points.
The council would not say how much the new footpath co-ordinator was being paid.