A DISABILITY access consultant met with staff from Casey Central Shopping Centre this week after voicing concerns that access ramps around the facility are angled towards busy roads.
Access Solutions director and wheelchair user Dale Sheppard will also be meeting with Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley to discuss his concerns about the accessibility near the new Narre Warren – Cranbourne Road duplication, which he said, along with the shopping centre, doesn’t meet minimum standards.
The road duplication was recently completed while the Casey Central expansion, in Narre Warren, is due to open in March next year.
Mr Sheppard said a major accessibility concern at the road duplication site was problematic “transition angles” on the ramps, which feed users out towards Narre Warren – Cranbourne road instead of alongside it.
“It’s a very technical requirement, basically the angle in which the curve ramp is pointed should be same direction you have to go in,” he said.
“Currently there’s a whole lot of ramps where the angle points you towards the centre of the intersection.”
When it came to the shopping centre, Mr Sheppard said temporary curve ramps set up during the refurbishment were very steep and were difficult for other people with disability to navigate.
“I’ve been saying from day-dot – let’s make sure we get this to comply with minimum standards and we get a situation like this where we’re not meeting minimums,” he said.
But Mr Sheppard said he was more positive after his meeting with shopping centre representatives on Tuesday who indicated they would look into his concerns.
“The next step is to make sure we continue down this road,” Mr Sheppard said.
“We need to fix it, make things right, and make it much more accessible for people with a disability.”
Adam Weinstein, Centre Manager at Westfield Fountain Gate and Casey Central, said site works had “impacted on certain access points” during the refurbishment of Casey Central, including “some accessible parking spaces that were temporarily removed, and which are being reinstated this week”.
“The services of an access consultant have been retained during the redevelopment at Casey Central to ensure the completed centre is fully compliant with minimum standards and that temporary facilities will also be compliant,” Mr Weinstein said.
A spokesperson for Judith Graley said the post construction road safety audit found the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road duplication “meets all relevant safety standards”.
They also confirmed Ms Graley had raised Mr Sheppard’s concerns with Roads Minister Luke Donnellan.
“The recently completed Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road duplication, a VicRoads managed project, had an independent road safety audit to check for compliance, including against the standards within the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA),” the spokesperson said.
“The post construction road safety audit found that Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road meets all relevant safety standards, however VicRoads will work with Mr Sheppard to gain a greater understanding of his concerns.”
