'Last thing anyone wants': CBD footpath switch as planned works delayed

The city council is in the process of upgrading the city's asphalt footpaths - a project that was set to be rolled out over a number of years costing $3 million.

The council's acting chief executive officer Peter Utri said Kepler Street between Timor and Lava streets was proposed to be completed in 2024, however, this would no longer be the case.

Mr Utri said AusNet had informed the council it planned to undertake gas renewal works in this section of Kepler Street in 2027, which may require significant excavation of the footpath.

"The last thing anyone wants is for the footpath to be rebuilt, only for it to be dug up again soon afterwards," Mr Utri said.

"So we are now planning to tie our footpath renewal program for this section of Kepler Street into the AusNet gas works."

Ahead of the planned Kepler Street footpath works, the council had flagged the potential removal of the mature New Zealand Christmas trees which could have cost as much at $700,000 to remove.

But following a public survey, the trees that are damaging the footpaths will now stay with the council planning to work around them.

In 2022, there were calls to upgrade the CBD footpaths with sections of Kepler Street labelled as "horrendous".

While the majority of Kepler Street works have now been delayed until after the gas works are completed, the council will instead upgrade other sections of the CBD.

Mr Utri said the next sections to be completed would be both sides Kepler Street between Raglan Parade and Lava Street, as well as the south side of Lava Street between Liebig Street and Fairy Street.

Work will begin in August.

"We contacted properties in the vicinity by mail in June, and then our staff visited businesses in July to discuss the works," Mr Utri said.

The timeframe to upgrade sections of the busier Koroit Street area is still to be determined, but Mr Utri said the council would be in touch with impacted properties ahead of any works commencing.

Mr Utri said the council had set aside $600,000 a year to renew the CBD's footpaths with like-for-like replacement, with some accessibility improvements where possible.

So far sections of Gilles Street, Banyan Street, Fairy Street, and Raglan Parade have been completed.

"A key aspect of our CBD footpath renewal program is working with electricity, gas, telephone and other service providers to understand any works they have planned for the Warrnambool CBD over the coming years," Mr Utri said.