Orange City Council has tripled its spending on building concrete footpaths this financial year, with $900,000 allocated in the 2020-21 budget.
Council will spend $550,000 creating new footpaths and $350,000 renewing old footpaths this financial year.
The spending is part of a three-year boost to footpath funding for the city, with a further $750,000 slated for next year and $600,000 the year after that.
LEVEL FOOTING: Council has increased funding this financial year to replace footpaths such as this one in Autumn Street.
This financial year, about 13 new footpaths will be built in areas around the city identified as being missing links in the network that are most in need of a footpath, such as locations close to schools, nursing homes and shops, or where there are safety issues.
Another nine failing footpaths will be replaced. There are also nine new footpaths being installed in north Orange, which are funded by developer contributions.
Orange Mayor Reg Kidd is pleased the extra funding will be used to improve and expand the city's footpath network.
"I have been pushing for increased and sustained footpath funding for a number of years and it is my wish to see better footpaths in as many streets in Orange as we can," Cr Reg Kidd said.
"We have a vast footpath network in Orange and these newly installed walkways and repaired surfaces will be of great benefit to residents across the city, especially with an ageing population and increased emphasis on healthy lifestyles."
Orange City Council's Infrastructure Committee Chair Cr Jeff Whitton said Council's specialist crews were often stretched across a variety of projects, so the work would be supplemented by local contractors to ensure all tasks were completed this financial year.
Contractors will be sourced via a quotation process through Council's procurement system.
"Depending on the workloads of our crews, we will get contractors when we need to," Cr Whitton said.
Council staff prioritise tasks using an objective ranking process based on criteria such as location, the amount of foot traffic, pedestrian safety and the condition of the existing surface.
Projects that have been already been completed this financial year are new footpaths on the eastern side of Autumn Street (Dalton to March), the eastern side of Garnet Street and the northern side of Ruby Street while footpath renewal has been completed on the southern side of March Street (Anson to Sale), the eastern side of McLachlan Street (Little Warrending to Caroline) and the western side of Anson Street (Prince to March).
This week, new footpaths are being built in Turquoise Way and the southern side of Dalton Street (Clinton to Burrendong). Footpaths are being replaced on the western side of Hill Street (Prince to March), and the western side of Autumn Street (March to Dalton).
New footpaths being built in 2020-21 are:
- Dalton Street, from Clinton Street to Burrendong Way
- Autumn Street (eastern side), adjoining Newman Park
- Anson Street, from Chestnut Avenue to the northern end of Woranita Park
- Spring Street, from Bletchington Street to Dalton Street
- Dalton Street, from William Street to McLachlan Street
- Prince Street, from Woodward Street to Sampson Street
- Peisley Street, from Margaret Street to Phillip Street
- William Street, from March Street to Dalton Street
- Gardiner Road from Peisley Street to Anson Street
- Molong Road, from Forbes Road to Murphy Lane (subject to government funding)
- Hill Street, from Margaret Street to Roselawn Drive (subject to government funding).
- Garnet Street (developer funded)
- Ruby Street (developer funded)
- Opal Street (developer funded)
- Turquoise Way (developer funded)
- Stevenson Way (developer funded)
- Emmaville Street (developer funded)
- Jasper Street (developer funded)
- The remainder of Catania Street (developer funded)
- The remainder of Etna Street (developer funded)
Footpaths being replaced in 2020-21 are:
- Hill Street, from Prince Street to March Street
- March Street, Anson Street to Sale Street
- McLachlan Street, from Little Warrendine Street to Caroline Street
- Peisley Street, from Franklin Road to Gardiner Road
- Autumn Street (western side), Dalton Street to March Street
- Anson Street, from Prince Street to March Street
- Nile Street, from Summer Street East to March Street
- Prince Street, from Clinton Street to Sampson Street.
Click here to view an interactive map of past and future footpath projects around the city.
