By CASEY NEILL
A NOBLE Park mound is creating heated debate over aged and disability access via a sloping footpath.
Councillor Maria Sampey at Monday night’s council meeting successfully moved for a disability consultant to provide a report about the recently-constructed path on Princes Highway, near Racecourse Road.
She wants the report to help council officers make sure the path complied with accessibility needs of elderly and disabled people.
Councillor Sampey said the path had been built over a mound, was too steep for those with limited mobility to use, and was dangerous.
Darvall Lodge Nursing Home residents contacted Mulgrave MP Daniel Andrews in 2011 to ask for the path to allow easier access to Sandown Park Hotel and other services.
Mr Andrews wrote to the council, and engineering services director Bruce Rendall in reply said a footpath was on its way.
But Cr Peter Brown said the path “failed dismally” after he tested it himself.
He said wheeling someone up the “hill” was difficult and down the other side “it took a lot of effort to restrain the wheelchair from taking off”.
“I fail to believe that that footpath meets construction requirements,” he said.
“A person in a wheelchair on their own – it can’t be done.”
Mr Rendall said the mound had been in place for about 25 years and was established to stop people illegally turning from Princes Highway into Racecourse Road over the nature strip.
“We have had it surveyed during construction and we have since gone back and checked and it is within the relevant disability standards,” he said.
Cr John Kelly said Cr Sampey had a relative in Darvall Lodge.
“That’s what this is really about,” he said.
“Whatever comes back from our consultation won’t satisfy councillor Sampey.
“To be getting studies like this is a burden on ratepayers.”
