Towards accessible footpaths for all
Thursday 25 November 2021
Inner West Council will work towards making all Inner West footpaths well-maintained, level and accessible so that everyone can safely travel around their local communities.
At Tuesday night’s Council Meeting, Councillors voted unanimously to take several actions to ensure all Inner West footpaths are accessible.
These include:
• Consider fast tracking the $8 million worth of capital works identified in the recent Pedestrian Access Mobility Plan, as part of the 2022/23 budget
• Funding the renewal of all Condition 4 and 5 (poor) footpaths in 2022/23
• Reviewing the draft Urban Public Domain Guidelines, the Tree Master Plan, Local Approvals Policy and advise on changes needed to retain or improve existing footpath accessibility levels
• Ensure these findings inform the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022-2025 and Council’s new Community Strategic Plan
• Considering fully funding and fully resourcing the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022-2025
“We are currently auditing all our footpaths for condition status so we should have a really good picture of what we need to do to make all footpaths accessible for all residents,” said Inner West Mayor Rochelle Porteous.
“As several Councillors pointed out at last night’s meeting, being able to safely get around your neighbourhood is a basic human right.
“The condition of our extensive network of footpaths will often determine whether residents with a disability and older residents are able to get out of their homes, go to work, meet with friends, access public transport and participate in their communities.
“Good, well-maintained, level and accessible footpaths allow everyone to safely travel around their local communities and are essential for older people, for people with disability including people using mobility devices like wheelchairs and for families with prams,” Mayor Porteous said.
“Council has an obligation under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 to ensure all its services, facilities, infrastructure, and planning are non-discriminatory.
“So, it follows that a primary concern for Council is to provide accessible pedestrian pathways throughout the Inner West,” Mayor Porteous said.
For media enquiries, contact Elizabeth Heath, Media and Communications Coordinator, 9392 5334 or Elizabeth.Heath@innerwest.nsw.gov.au