Michaela Meade
The pedestrian paths surrounding Merrifield estate in Mickleham are unsafe, according to a resident.
Luca Chiasserini told Star Weekly he has approached Hume council on multiple occasions, beginning in 2019, about paths in need of repair.
Mr Chiasserini said he again contacted the council earlier this year about damaged paths in Rowena Way, Canning Drive, Donnybrook Road, and Errol Boulevard.
He said he was concerned for the safety of the community, including children and wheelchair users, as a result of the hazards on the paths.
Mr Chiasserini said the council repaired some of the estate’s damages paths in mid-2020, but he feels the works were not good enough..
“What they did for only some of the damaged areas is to apply a “patch”, in the form of asphalt… which will eventually crack again, is not the aesthetic you want/expect to see in a new established area like Merrifield… and in many cases has actually [worsened] the safety/trip hazard.
“I genuinely and urgently ask [council] to repair all the damaged concrete bays which are sinking, as well as replacing all the cracked and damaged tiles on the footpaths, before somebody gets injured in this beautiful and new established estate.”
In emails seen by Star Weekly, Hume mayor Joseph Haweil said the cost of repairing the paths was high and unexpected for such a new area.
“Work was done in August-September 2020 to remove defects in line with the Road Management Plan (RMP).
“These repairs cost $63,121.
“Council would not expect to need to spend such a large amount of the renewal budget there but works will be done in line with the intervention levels identified in the [RMP].”
Sustainable infrastructure and services director Peter Waite said the council is continuing to investigate the complaints in line with the RMP.
“Repairs to remove any defects in line with the [RMP] and within council’s intervention levels will be arranged as a top priority to ensure the safety of our community,” he said.
“While they may be unsightly, those remaining are within council’s intervention levels and are therefore treated as a lower priority.”
