Safe pedestrian river crossing needed

Ford flooding along the Maribyrnong River has restricted pedestiran access to Brimbank Park. (Damjan Janevski) 301131_02

Brimbank council has called for more action to allow for Brimbank Park visitors to safely cross the Maribyrnong River.

At its meeting on Tuesday, September 20, Brimbank council passed a motion to write to Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio to request an urgent response to the lack of safe pedestrian access over the Maribyrnong River to Brimbank Park.

Brimbank councillor Virginia Tachos said the council was calling for the state government and Parks Victoria to look at installing a safe pedestrian footbridge across the flooding, which was present for two-thirds of the year.

“Even at low levels, people can drown,” she said.

“It’s just really unfair that we don’t have access.”

Cr Tachos said people wanting to access Brimbank Park have limited options.

“There’s no public transport that goes there at all,” she said.

Brimbank councillor Jae Papalia said the council had not received any response to the number of requests for action.

“This issue has been an issue for our community for as long as I can remember,” she said.

“I feel like this council has advocated, we’ve spoken to Parks Victoria, we have done so much to try and get some change.”

Matthew Sims