A Keilor Downs resident of nearly 50 years has accused Brimbank council of neglecting basic infrastructure such as footpaths as it spends $52 million on a new civic and community centre in Sunshine.
Theo Orval said the council was focusing on its “glorious new monument”, set to open in 2016, while broken footpaths in his street were getting ‘‘quick fixes’’.
“Half the footpath in Stockwell Crescent was ‘repaired’ some weeks ago by tossing down some asphalt and tapping it down with a shovel,” he said. “Even the workers doing it admitted to my wife that it was a waste of time.”
Brimbank Disability and Advisory Network spokesman Peter Thomson said it was a similar story near his house in Compton Parade, Sunshine North.
“It’s across the board,” he said. “I’m aware council has large costs, and it’s a huge job to maintain them, but I question why it does it this way. The asphalt breaks down so quickly.
‘‘It should spend the extra money and fix them properly, rather than do it every couple of months.”
Council acting infrastructure and environment director Nick Mann said a “temporary repair” was warranted for Stockwell Crescent.
He said the council spent more than $3.25 million a year to repair and replace footpaths across the municipality.
“Council’s management and maintenance of the municipality’s 1600-kilometre footpath network is safety focused and looks at the condition and importance of each footpath to the community to determine priorities,” he said.
“All footpaths are inspected and assessed at least every three years or earlier, according to their recognised importance.”
