Renewing our footpaths

AS CHAIR of the City Planning portfolio, I see road and footpath renewal as a core responsibility of Council to ensure our city is accessible for all.

Greater Geelong’s road network is extensive, spanning more than 2,000km of sealed roads and more than 330km of unsealed roads.

This requires a lot of upkeep to ensure all residents can travel safely by car, bike or other vehicles.

Renewal and upgrade works are one of our most important tasks and our infrastructure team is always working hard to ensure every person in our city can easily get around.

This financial year our team has renewed 8.8km of footpaths in our region.

Renewals are often undertaken to reduce trip hazards, unblock access points or increase accessibility, so more people can venture onto our footpaths.

Our team regularly inspects these paths to assess their condition and undertake proactive works where possible to reduce hazards for the community.

The most recent footpath renewal works, in Highton Village’s Belle Vue Avenue, are nearing completion, with construction expected to finish by the end of this month.

The works address residents’ concerns of tripping hazards at the precinct, rectifying these issues.

Our team worked closely with the community and consulted them regularly throughout the project’s planning to ensure residents’ needs were met while also preserving the unique character of Highton Village.

Our team also works tirelessly to ensure our road network meets the needs of the community.

This financial year to date, our infrastructure renewal team has undertaken more than 75km of road renewals within our network.

This is a huge effort and ensures all our well-established suburbs are in step with the new infrastructure of our developing areas.

Closer to home in my Deakin Ward, the Rossack Drive renewal is nearing completion.

Funded by the federal government’s Roads to Recovery Program, the renewal works include rehabilitated road pavement, kerb, channel and driveway upgrades, and new line marking.

Staggered across five stages, the Rossack Drive works commenced last November and, once complete, will provide an upgraded connection between Waurn Ponds station and nearby shopping precincts.

Stage three is currently underway, finalising work on the southbound lane.

Following this, remaining work on Rossack Drive works will focus on the renewal of the northbound lane.

In Armstrong Creek, our team also completed the renewal and upgrade of Burvilles Road before Christmas.

This renewed asset provides a critical connection between Surf Coast Highway and Horseshoe Bend Road.

It is satisfying seeing these renewals and upgrades completed knowing that our residents can get around our roads and footpaths more easily.

Cr Andrew Katos

Deakin Ward,

City of Greater Geelong