After five years of inaction, and numerous broken promises, the Valentine Residents Association (VRA) is, quite simply, fed up.
The members have approached the Lake Macquarie City Council on several occasions since 2016, either verbally or through email, complaining about the poor condition of the footpath along the front of the suburb’s popular shopping centre on Allambee Place.
At one point, according to the VRA, mayor Kay Fraser told them she had “personally lodged a service request with the construction and maintenance unit to repair” the section in question.
Yet, it remains as hazardous as ever.
From the newsagency to the Hairy Lime Café, the well-worn pavement is not only in a neglected state and uneven, but clearly in need of replacement.
And, the efforts by council to shave or remove and replace fragments of the existing concrete have proven ineffective.
In the words of VRA president Allan Bargwanna and committeeman John McGrath, it’s the “worst footpath in the Lake Macquarie LGA”.
“It is deplorable,” the latter said.
“Now, it’s become a public risk situation.
“We’ve had quite a number of falls along the path.
“We live in an area where there are many elderly residents, who are located in units adjacent to the shopping centre.
“So, they regularly attend here on foot – as there’s a supermarket, a grocery store, a butcher’s shop, medical facilities and other retailers.
“If it doesn’t get fixed, we’re going to keep having the same situation of residents sustaining injuries.
“It could cost council a lot more, if someone sues them, than the repairs themselves.
“Obviously, they’re not too worried about the liability issue.
“But, I believe it’s a major concern.”
For the VRA’s part, the members have compiled a 26-page report on the disgraceful state of the footpath – complete with photos of neighbouring (shopping) centres as a comparison – to make council’s job easier.
However, they’re not holding their collective breath for a response.
“The usual feedback we receive is ‘there’s no money’,” Mr Bargwanna said.
“Or, ‘there isn’t available funds to fix the area at this time’.
“We’ve been liaising with [Lake Macquarie] council about this for the past five years to get it upgraded.
“We have toured around the various neighbourhood shopping centres – and we’ve easily got the worst one [footpath] by far.
“Ours is in such a heavily populated area, too.
“It doesn’t make any sense.
“Just look at the car park; it’s full [today].
“But, it’s like that every day with people coming and going.
“I deem this to be one of the busiest neighbourhood shopping centres in the Lake Macquarie LGA.”
Mr Bargwanna said the VRA had lost count of the amount of communication with council, even though he showed a ream of paperwork from the group’s email trail.
“It’s funny, we’ve had many inspections [here],” he told the Newcastle Weekly.
“The mayor indicated to me that the council would now conduct assessments of various neighbourhood shopping centres and the footpaths around them once a year.
“They’d then establish a criteria with a priority to repair the worst ones.
“What happened to that?
“We’d have to fall into that category.
“It’s not like we’re raising a new problem; council’s had plenty of time to put money aside for the project.
“It is very frustrating, especially when you witness other work taking place that’s not as important.”
The shop owners are as concerned about the predicament as the locals themselves, Mr McGrath stated.
“It affects their business, too,” he said.
“If people pull up here and can’t get a parking spot, they go.
“So, if someone’s just had a knee operation, for example, they won’t come here either due to the prospect of falling.
“And, that likelihood is pretty great.
“In 2018, Valentine Public School deputy principal Leigh Rich suffered a fracture and ligament damage to her ankle because of the uneven surface.
“That incident’s been documented as well.
“Lake Macquarie City Council looks after the big-ticket items.
“They clearly don’t think this is one.
“That’s emphasised by the fact that at Redhead, they managed to pour 40 linear metres on concrete to service a restaurant and a pizza shop.
“Those premises only operate certain hours a day, with limited pedestrian traffic.
“However, that was repaired last year.
“If they can do it for that, why not here?”
A spokesperson for council disputed some of the VRA’s assertions, stating the footpath was inspected in May this year in response to a community request.
“At this time, the condition of the Valentine walkway was assessed to be serviceable for the local community,” he said.
“In addition, council has moved to an annual inspection regime for footpaths in this area, with the next formal inspection for Allambee Place scheduled for July.
“Council currently looks after a network of 665km of footpaths and cycleways; and uses a priority matrix to assess the renewal and replacement of footpaths right around the city.
“Allambee Place is not considered a high priority [within the footpath priority matrix].”
Mr Bargwanna said the VRA was now calling on the community to support them in their campaign.
“It’s the age-old thing called ‘people power’,” he admitted.
“If we can get everyone together, complaining to council, complaining to the mayor – maybe, they’ll listen and do something about it.
“Personally, I think we’ve been disregarded (in relation to what we want).
“We have developers in Valentine; pulling one house down and putting up five units on the same block.
“They’ve got to pay [council] fees.
“Where’s that money going? I’ll tell you, to other areas such as Charlestown, Warners Bay and Toronto or on cycleways at Waratah, which are hardly used.
“You shake your head in disbelief.
“I believe Lake Macquarie City Council have overlooked the fact we’ve got an ageing population.
“Also, we’re the ones who’ve done all the work to establish Valentine to what it is today.
“Yet, we seem to be the least appreciated.”
For more news stories:
