Warrnambool City Council had to pay for 'horrific' footpath injury, former Cr Peter Hulin says

Former city councillor Peter Hulin raised the incident at Monday night's council meeting asking if new councillors were aware of the payout and that concerns about the dangers had been raised before.

"What was council's recent payout for a footpath danger and subsequent horrific injury to one of our citizens?" Mr Hulin asked.

"Have the councillors been made aware of this legal issue and of its outcome including the horrific injury to one of our residents?

"Were they also made aware of the amount of times this specific dangerous issue was raised by a minority of previously elected councillors with no action taken?"

Mr Hulin later said on Tuesday that the incident he was referring to happened in the foreshore precinct about two or three years ago.

On Monday, Mr Hulin used the new format of public question time to draw attention to the safety of the city's footpaths.

He told the meeting he had met with new infrastructure director David Leahy and Cr Richard Ziegeler a couple of months ago where he voiced concerns about a number of issues including maintenance of the city's Norfolk Island pine trees.

"I pointed out a lack of maintenance on our Norfolk Island street trees where they intrude onto private property, a number of properties for many metres, throughout our city," he said.

Mr Hulin said he showed them where the trees actually touched, or were over, residents' buildings.

"I also showed them a danger to our citizens, especially the elderly, where a footpath was completely covered by an obstruction making it practically impassable if one has a walking aid and it's been that way for years," he said.

"I don't need to explain what happens if an elderly person falls or breaks a hip.

"Does council have a responsibility to attempt to make our footpaths safe for our citizens?

"Or is it acceptable to ignore the concerns of citizens when it comes to safety?"

Mr Hulin also asked why he had not received any correspondence from Mr Leahy in relation to the meeting.

"Is this acceptable that even though I took time off work and explained in detail my concerns that no response for these matters have been forwarded to me?" he said.

"Does council have a policy on such matters and when was it last updated?"

Mr Leahy said he left the meeting with Mr Hulin thinking there wasn't any further correspondence required.

He said he had talked to staff about the issues, and that work to trees was carried out on a risk process.

Mr Leahy said work had also been done to try to rectify the issue in the Timor Street laneway that Mr Hulin had raised concerns about.

He said stormwater design work was required, and work was in the pipeline to be completed.

He took Mr Hulin's other questions on notice.

Mr Hulin told the meeting that he found the answer completely unacceptable.

Further comment has been sought from the city council.

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