Despite what you hear from the Lord Mayor, Brisbane City Council’s process for new footpaths or maintenance works can take years. Here’s how new footpaths are funded and damaged footpaths are repaired.
Footpath Maintenance
Damaged footpaths can be reported to Council at any time via the Council call centre 3403 8888 24/7 or my office 3403 8605. Council will generally inspect footpaths within a few days and undertake “make safe” works such as grinding or bitumen fill to reduce trip hazards. Repairs are then scheduled from recurrent funding of around $13m annually. This process can take up to a year for a permanent fix. My office tracks these requests and follows up with Council to ensure they are done as soon as possible. Please call us if a footpath near you needs maintenance.
2021-22
Oxley Rd, Sherwood repairs/replacement $103,000
Quarry Rd, Sherwood repairs/replacement $87,000
New Footpaths
Council refuses to fund new footpaths now other than for special purposes like the Safer Pathways to School programme. There has been a massive cut over recent years to the number of new footpaths being built around the City from Council’s capital works programme and no real increase to maintenance funding. All new footpaths are now funded from the Suburban Enhancement Fund, an annual allocation of $500,000 to all Councillors that must pay for all local footpath, park, playground and minor road works. This funding is grossly inadequate for the high level of demand for new and improved community local facilities, footpaths and road works. Council Policy requires a resident survey to be undertaken and more than 50% of residents must agree to support the footpath before it can proceed. Each year I allocate the funding roughly half to new footpaths or upgrades and half to park and playground upgrades. Footpaths waiting the longest, streets without a footpath or special needs are prioritised off the waiting list, noted below.
2021-22 Under Construction
Waratah St/Chanter St, Graceville (Safer Pathways to School)
Hodge St, Corinda
Tweedale St, Graceville
Christensen St, Yeronga
Jutland St. Oxley
Clara St, Corinda (part)
Footpaths Approved and Awaiting Construction
Leybourne St, Chelmer (Hargreaves Ave to Faulkner Park)
Wharf St, Chelmer
Spencer St, Corinda
Railway Rd, Fairfield
Cordalba St, Graceville
Berry St, Sherwood
Penaton St, Corinda
Rosebery Tce, Chelmer
David St, Tennyson
Feez St, Yeronga
Turley St, Fairfield
Donaldson St, Corinda
Gladstone St, Oxley
Scott St, Corinda
Queenscroft St, Chelmer
Hall Ave, Corinda
Footpaths Requested and Awaiting Survey
Probyn St, Corinda
Jerrold St, Sherwood
Cork St, Yeronga
Egmont St, Sherwood
Ayr St, Annerley
Turner St, Chelmer
Tainton St, Sherwood
Clara Street, Annerley
Laneway btn Ardoyne Rd and Keble St, Corinda
Cliveden Ave, Corinda
Frank St, Graceville
Donaldson St, Corinda
Brougham St, Fairfield
Haldane St, Graceville
Rhyndarra and Anita Sts, Yeronga
Venner Rd, Fairfield
Archibald St, Fairfield
Castle St, Fairfield
Chelmer St W, Chelmer
Epworth St, Oxley
Logan Ave, Oxley
Esplanade, Yeronga
Cliveden Ave, Oxley
Wilton Tce, Yeronga
Myla Tce, Tennyson
Rakeevan Rd, Graceville
Graceville Ave, Graceville (section on odd numbered side)
Keble St, Corinda