By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
AFTER more than four years trekking through the winter sludge, Junction Village residents can now rely on solid footing on their way to Cranbourne.
Half way there, the linking pathway from Junction Village to the heart of Cranbourne along the South Gippsland Highway was ready for use on Saturday 18 April and will be extended to Ballarto Road by July 2015.
Councillor Geoff Ablett said residents had been concerned about the lack of a path for many years.
“I’ve had quite a few complaints from residents in electric wheelchairs that were getting bogged in the colder months and now no matter the weather mums and prams, elderly, joggers and residents in wheel chairs can all use this footpath safely,” Cr Ablett said.
Granitic gravel was laid on the path which runs alongside the Avenue of Honour with no success more than four years ago.
“It was fine in summer but with the amount of use it got it became a porridge in winter,” he said.
Cr Ablett said other parts of Cranbourne including new estates received free walkways a part of the linking paths program which aims to deliver shared footpath connections across Casey.
“This walkway was not a part of the linking paths program because there was nothing to link it to,” he said.
“There’s something like 2000 homes in Junction Village that were cut off from Cranbourne services and people felt disconnected,” Cr Ablett said.
Vincent ‘Digger’ Griffiths, a Junction Village resident of 38 years, said the new footpath was a long time coming.
“We had a meeting with Geoff about five years ago and everyone wanted it,” Mr Griffiths said.
“I use the path three times a week and in winter it was very uncomfortable.
“It will be great for people that don’t own a car, they can now get to the doctors in Cranbourne because there is no medical centre in Junction Village,” Mr Griffiths said.
Cr Ablett’s next aim is to get more footpaths in Junction Village and hook up Mayfield Estate on the South Gippsland Highway with Lifestyle Casey Fields on Cameron Street.
“I retired at 65, but I still walk, I love it, it’s great, you meet people along the way and as you get older you need the convenience,” Mr Griffiths said.
