The Aussie street where residents are treated like ‘second-class citizens’

Fed-up residents are calling out the crater-like chasms along a residential road that are wrecking cars.

Fed-up residents are calling out the crater-like chasms along a Cairns residential road that are wrecking cars and limiting access to nearby suburban streets with grassroots leaders demanding action now.

More than a dozen cavernous gorges are scattered across Brophy St in Westcourt where residents have come to accept their road appears to have been hit by a recent meteor strike.

Residents say the road has been in a state of disrepair for years with no-one bothering to fix the dilapidated bitumen track. (Picture: Samuel Davis)

Commuters regularly fall victim to the treacherous 150m stretch with some cabbies and Uber drivers simply refusing to traverse down the road, longtime resident Johnny Tamwoy said.

“We reported it once to the council,” Mr Tamwoy said.

“But the council’s done nothing. Everybody complains about it but it’s just getting worse and worse.”

One of more than a dozen deep potholes found along Brophy Street in Westcourt. (Picture: Samuel Davis)

Rubbish collection, school bus pick ups and support for elderly residents are hampered every day by the road’s ramshackle state, Mr Tamwoy said.

“Ambulances need to be able to come down this road,” he said.

“You can see the sewerage pipe in one of the potholes. Sometimes people are driving, especially when it’s wet, they don’t see the potholes and get punctured tyres.”

Cairns project manager Nathan Lee Long said Brophy St had clearly suffered from years of neglect.

“It’s pretty eye-opening and surprising to see an area like this,” Mr Lee Long said.

“Some of it’s got to the point where it will need reconstruction of the pavement and rectification of the roadway.

“It’s definitely going to take a bit of work and money to fix now. It appears that there isn’t a regular maintenance schedule for the area which is sad.”

Division Five councillor says the Brophy Street community are being treated like 'second class citizens'. (Picture: Samuel Davis)

On Wednesday, a Main Roads spokesman claimed the street was a council responsibility and refused to provide further comment.

But council have refuted the claim, declaring it is a private road.

Recently elected Division Five councillor Rob Pyne said it was time for someone step in and fix the dilapidated street’s rundown infrastructure.

Cairns mother of two, Gaitap Satrick, 23 visits Brophy Street in Westcourt regularly to see her family. The White Rock resident says the road is in a shocking state of disrepair with potholes damaging cars on a regular basis.

“This area has been neglected for so long that people have come to accept it,” Mr Pyne said.

“It’s just so unfair. We should have the same service levels for everyone … but it just seems some people are being forgotten which is really tragic.

“In certain parts of Cairns people are treated like second class citizens and that’s just not acceptable. People need to be held to account.

“QBuild have told us it’s not a state government responsibility. Well, who the hell is responsible?

“It’s just not fair to subject people to such a poor level of service.”

Originally published as The Aussie street where residents are treated like ‘second-class citizens’