Pedestrians are concerned about the safety and accessibility of the newly constructed kerb at the delivery dock of Castlemaine’s Woolworths development.
The large concrete edging has created a dead-end for people using wheelchairs or prams and left community members questioning who is responsible for remedying the situation – Woolworths, the developers or the council?
Local pedestrian and cycling advocacy group, Calm It Castlemaine, has noted the irony of the situation, given there is a new, smooth pathway, with a shiny new fence alongside the supermarket that leads….nowhere.
“It seems crazy to take away what was a functional path and pour concrete across it,” Calm It spokesperson Ian Lillington said.
“While it doesn’t look dramatic, it makes a big difference to pedestrians.”
Lorraine Le Plastrier from Mount Alexander Shire Disability Advocacy Group said those who depended on good footpaths to get around independently were often ignored by developers and engineers.
“On one side we have the widest, smoothest footpath in the shire, on the other we have no footpath at all, and no way to get across the truck turn-out,” she said.
“It’s as if they tried to design a death-trap for people who are moving around on smaller wheels.”
Families from Castlemaine Primary School, located across the road from the new supermarket site, have also expressed concerns about crossing the loading dock when pushing prams or managing children on bikes.
“How do they expect us to actually get our kids to school?” said parent Melanie Marshall.
“Our ride to school used to be safe and accessible. Now there is a physical barrier in the way. It’s dangerous, and feels like a kick in the guts to local school families.”
Mount Alexander Shire Council’s director of infrastructure and development, Michael Annear, said council was aware of the missing links and was the authority responsible for addressing the issue.
“We are in the process of finishing the design for the missing link between the supermarket loading bay and the 10-foot bridge,” he said.
“And on the other side of the supermarket, we plan to build a formal pathway as part of our wider streetscape project.
“We are liaising with the Department of Transport and Planning on the designs for the pathway along Duke Street, south of the supermarket development.”
