Goodbye phone, hello YouTube

Photo taken 13 February 2012.

The world is changing. The days of being ignored by councillors has ended.

A new powerful means of reporting issues has replaced the traditional method of phoning, being ignored and councillors losing all record of that call.

The state of the footpath along Collingwood Road was brought to the attention of the local councillor in 2009.

Incomplete footpaths, overgrown vegetation, open drains threaten the safety of local residents. Sadly, no action was taken.

In 2010, a young man lost his life along Collingwood Road. Again, I expressed my concern and submitted a comment to the local paper. <click here to see comment>

One hoped that safety along this road would be improved given that school children and adults frequently walk along Collingwood Road.

Unfortunately, little to no action was taken…until I discovered a new means of communicating a message!

I made a video of the footpath on Collingwood Road and uploaded it on YouTube on the 7th February 2012. I noted that on the 13th February 2012, council workers had begun to repair this treacherous path.

Years and years of campaigning, years and years of attempting to contact the local councillor, years and years trying to get this issue noticed and improve the safety for residents was achieved with a simple ‘click’ of the upload button.

The world has indeed changed and I am willing to greet this new generation of media with open arms.

The lives of residents are far too important to be ignored.

YouTube, I thank you!

Perilous footpaths a threat to walkers

Footpath on Collingwood Road

Every day, hundreds of residents use footpaths in Division 8.

Residents living in the Wellington Heights estate walk up Tulloch Drive, Pitt Road and Collingwood Road. School children walk this route to travel to and from school while other residents use this route for daily walks.

However, residents are urged to be cautious when walking along Collingwood Road as dense vegetation, old prams and overgrown grass blocks the footpath.

Residents cannot continue walking safely along this footpath. Click here to view the YouTube video.

Yes, there is another footpath on the other side of Collingwood Road, but walking safely to it can also be a feat in itself.

In my mind, residents have two options: trek through knee-high grass that could potentially be a hiding place for snakes (red-bellied black snakes have been found on the side of this road); or, use the footpath on Pitt Road – however, this footpath is incomplete and crossing Pitt Road can be a challenge due to the high volume of traffic during peak times.

It is essential that footpaths are maintained.

Safety is an important issue – one that all candidates and councillors must take seriously.