The path less consulted

Northern Constructions Group, who is building the path on behalf of Murray River Council, notified residents through a letterbox drop on Wednesday, May 21, only five days before construction began.

Residents were disappointed with the lack of community consultation, many of them hearing about the path for the first time through NCG’s letters.

An Aberdeen Way resident said the path would greatly affect residents closest to the path.

“It’s a fairly major impact on more than one resident ... it’s a major change to the environment for us,” the resident said.

“(People) would be right on our fenceline. Would you like people walking along your fenceline?

“As it is, we also have a walkway (beside) our property ... but eight feet from the bedroom window is a bit much.”

The notice distributed by NCG stated the pathway was still ‘under design’, however the concrete for the pathway has already been laid, and the works are scheduled to be completed by Wednesday, June 25.

A Murray River Council spokesperson said a site meeting was held on the day construction began and residents in the immediate area received plans (the NCG letter drop) the previous week.

However, the site meeting was in response to an email sent to council by a concerned resident and was not publicised to other residents.

Murray River Council Mayor John Harvie and a Parks and Gardens representative attended the site meeting alongside two residents, including the Aberdeen Way resident, but no changes resulted from the meeting.

The Aberdeen Way resident said the response received at the site meeting was unsatisfactory.

“They weren’t interested in what we had to say,” the resident said.

“At this point, it wouldn’t have mattered if they had done a few minor alterations and flicked it to the other side of the road, they still had time to do that, but they weren’t interested in that conversation either.

“What difference does it make if it’s on the other side? I really didn’t get a satisfactory answer to that either.”

According to Murray River Council interim infrastructure director Daniel Hughes, the path’s design aimed to improve safety by providing a separate route for both pedestrians and cyclists who frequent Kiely Rd.

The path will also connect with existing infrastructure and support future planning, especially if a formal crossing is built over the Cobb Hwy.

Mr Hughes said the project was designed following a comprehensive assessment of the path’s location.

“Currently, many people, including children and those walking pets, are forced to use the road itself due to the absence of a formal footpath network. This presents a clear safety risk as pedestrians are mixing with vehicle traffic,” he said.

“A comprehensive review of environmental factors was conducted as part of the project planning.

“This assessment found no significant impacts on vegetation or wildlife and appropriate measures have been implemented to minimise and mitigate any environmental impacts identified during the review.”