Painful trip up

By Lia Bichel
A NARRE Warren woman is asking the council to repair local footpaths after she tripped and injured her arm on Webb Street.
Maimie Pendlebury, 73, was walking to her car from the train station on 29 July when she tripped on a section of footpath that was raised about half an inch and marked for repair.
“The footpath was raised about half an inch and was marked for repair (with white paint),” she said.
“I had to struggle home and rang my son who took me to the hospital.
“I had to have a scan and the doctors said I displaced a bone, so I had an operation and they put a plate in it.”
Ms Pendlebury said she was not allowed to drive until she had the doctor’s permission and relied on her son to drive her places.
“I am missing out on doing voluntary work with Westfield Walkers, making quilts at Pakenham for charity.
“I lost my husband nine months ago, so I’m housebound with my bird and my fish,” she said.
Ms Pendlebury said she believed the footpath was one of many, not only in the City of Casey, but throughout the state, which was in need of repairs.
City of Casey roads and construction manager Rob Kriek said permanent reinstatement works for the footpath in Webb Street, Narre Warren, were expected to begin within six weeks.
He said the City of Casey’s footpath network exceeded 1400 kilometres within road reserves, with an additional 260 kilometres of paths within the council’s parks and reserves. He said the Casey Council undertook regular audits of its footpath network every three years, with an audit currently being undertaken by a council contractor.
“The council spends approximately $800,000 annually on footpath reinstatement works,” Mr Kriek said.
“Under the City of Casey’s Road Management Plan, trip hazards reported to the council are initially made safe with temporary measures, with permanent reinstatement works programmed into the council’s maintenance program for footpath assets.”