The pavers on Main Street are a well-known trip hazard and Lithgow City Council has resolved to try and re-allocate funding from the CBD revitalisation project to have them replaced.
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Councillor Wayne McAndrew said the paved walkway would need to be completely replaced “in a very short time”.
“We’ve got a situation certainly in the top part [of Main Street] where we can’t even clean the pavers anymore because you’ve got that indentation in the pathway,” Cr McAndrew said.
“But that’s not the main concern, they’re becoming dangerous, they’re becoming a trip hazard, they’re becoming a major problem.”
Re-allocating the funding would place stage one of the project, the planned upgrades to Cook Street Plaza and Eskbank Street, on the back-burner when construction was due to begin in the coming months.
The $2.9 million project is being funded by a $1,304,550 federal government grant and $1,594,450 from council.
The federal funding is currently restricted to stage one of the project. However councillors resolved to request the federal member Andrew Gee to provide his support to adjust the conditions of the funding deed.
Cr McAndrew said initial indications for the cost of the replacement of the pavers was $2-3 million.
“What my recommendation is asking to continue to support the CBD revitalisation project but that whether we like it or not we need to… concentrate on fixing the pavers first,” Cr McAndrew said.
“It’s no good having a Marjorie Jackson plaza that’s the best in the world when we’ve got residents, ratepayers, shoppers tripping over and stumbling and injuring themselves on the pavers we currently have.”
“We’ve got a real issue we need to be resolved and we need it resolved yesterday.”
Councillor Maree Statham agreed council should attempt to have the federal funds re-allocated.
“I think the pavers are shocking and being at pre-poll for two weeks I had many complaints of the level of quality of the pavers,” Cr Statham said.
“It’s quite atrocious and we’re left now with something that is probably unreasonable, very dangerous and unsatisfactory.
“I think if it is at all possible to get the funding shifted to do the pavers first it would be very appropriate and many Lithgow residents would be very happy with that.”
