Chairo footpath a step closer

A footpath to link Chairo Christian School and Princes Way along Balfour Rd may be a step closer.

Council has allocated $50,000 in its 2018/19 budget to undertake footpath design works for Balfour Rd. But, construction of the footpath will be dependent on future budget allocations.

Council also has committed $15,000 for initial design works for a footpath from the Walhalla rotunda to the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine.

Officers said this section of Balfour Rd had been identified as a priority area with significant foot traffic around the school and increased vehicle traffic exiting the highway.

Council wants to ensure the path is well designed to enhanced community access and safety in the long term while also considering its strategic location and capacity to cater for future town growth.

Cr Jessica O’Donnell said there were blind spots and a hill in Balfour Rd that made it prone to accidents.

She said designing a footpath was not going to be an easy process because there were a lot of stakeholders.

“If we get the ball rolling, hopefully we can get an outcome sooner rather than later,” she said.

Cr Tricia Jones said she was pleased to see some money allocated to the Balfour Rd footpath.

“That has been on the radar for many years. We have had many representations from families over the years. The design of that footpath will be very complex,” she said.

Cr Keith Cook said he had been pushing for a footpath to service Chairo students since he was elected.

Cr Mikaela Power supported money being allocated to design works for a footpath at Walhalla.

“You can make your way from the rotunda to the gold mine but it takes a fair commitment to get there. We have lots of people who want to just park and walk there.

“The purpose of this is to design the footpath…this will go up a hill and down again,” she said.

Cr Power said there was a lot of heritage and design frames that needed to be taken into account.