New pavements pathway to safer walking

A SERIES of recently completed footpath projects across the Shire have helped make walking to school easier for students, their families and the community as a whole.

The pavements were funded by Golden Plains Shire and the Transport Accident Commission and include works in Smythesdale, Scarsdale, Rokewood and Bannockburn.

“When students return to school at Woady Yaloak Primary School in Smythesdale next week, they will enjoy safe new concrete footpaths, just like students have at the Scarsdale campus and residents in Bannockburn and Rokewood,” said mayor Cr Owen Sharkey.

“While footpath projects might seem small-fry, they bring incredible value to those local communities, through improving safety, walkability and connectivity in towns and villages across Golden Plains Shire.”

The capital works include a 100-metre shared concrete path on Becker Street, Smythesdale beside the Woady Yaloak Primary School campus.

Kids at Woady Yaloak’s Scarsdale site will also have better access after 1.1 kilometres of asphalt path was laid on Pitfield-Scarsdale Road between Carlyle Street and the school.

In Rokewood 230 metres of concrete path on Aitchison Street between Gibb and McMillan streets has been added. While down in Bannockburn 200 meters of new footpath was constructed on Byron Street and a further 100 metres on Milton Street opposite the Heart project.

In all the works cost $300,000, with the TAC putting in for 50 per cent of the Bannockburn expense, meaning the municipality was able to redirect funds to finish the Rokewood project.

“Thank you to the TAC for partnering with council to deliver the improved footpaths on Byron and Milton Streets in Bannockburn,” Cr Sharkey said.

“Not only did their grant help us get the job done, it also ensured Council was able to complete an additional new footpath in Rokewood.

Cr Sharkey said that despite the pandemic lockdown, capital works across the Shire were continuing.

“From new and upgraded bridges, to widening and sealing busy roads, and down to footpath upgrades – the past year has been a busy one to improve infrastructure across the Shire, including during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.