The stumbling block
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FOR years it has been the biggest annual charity fund raiser in the district and one of the biggest community based efforts in NSW. But this year it’s under threat and a meeting with council was scheduled for this morning in a bid to save the Portland to Wallerawang trek for cancer research. The walk has become a victim of its own success so that now concerns have been raised that with the numbers of participants growing every year the event could be in trouble on road safety issues. Lithgow Council’s Operations manager Iain Stewart told last week’s meeting that the initial concerns have been sorted out and permission has been granted to close the Pipers Flat Road to traffic for the duration of the walk. But the devil is in the detail and the organisers have been told they have to organise their own traffic control and ‘approved’ private contractors in this line of work will cost up to $20,000. And that’s the stumbling block. Most of those involved walk the distance but there are others who prefer to run. The most remarkable thing about the huge success of this venture is that it all started out years ago as a simple bet between sporting identities Barry Rushworth and Laurie Bender and over its lifetime has raised over $208,000. Last year more than 600 took part in the walk.
Lost their way
CLEARLY we need more signage — EVERYWHERE. Some tourists who appeared to be from somewhere in what we refer to as the ‘sub continent’ were enjoying a picnic in the sunshine in Queen Elizabeth Park on Easter Sunday when they asked the passing column ‘what town is this?’ Sometimes it’s dangerous to allow some people leave passes out of Sydney. The incident prompts us to suggest that we really do need some illustrated signage at both ends of Elizabeth Park as well as our other parks giving directions to our attractions.