“Wheelchair friendly” park vision

At the last Upper Lachlan Council meeting, the Group’s chairman, Mr. Barry Murphy, provided an update on the progress made so far and the plans for the immediate future.

The Group’s main aim in the next twelve months is to replace the stone steps which currently provide access to the park from street level with a concrete ramp with steel rails to accommodate wheelchairs and users who cannot cope with the steps.

This is the major current project.

Cr. Malcolm Barlow, who is a member of the Landcare Group, told Council the project could cost $19,000.

“We want to make the park wheelchair friendly from bridge to bridge,” he said – referring to the bridges over the creek on Laggan Road and Saleyards Road – the full length of the park.

General Manager Mr. John Bell suggested that the “work for the dole” scheme could be utilised.

“This is exactly the kind of project the dole scheme is looking for,” he said.

“We might be able to take advantage of that, and it could assist us in a grant application to the Federal Government.”

Mr. Bell will further investigate this possibility.

Other projects for the coming year include:

# Construction of a short concrete path from Roberts Street to the front of the toilet block;

# Carving and installing an existing log to be installed as a second wild-life log seat, for which the Landcare members will provide the labour and resources;

# Pursue the possibility of a rock-filled lining for the top half of the main storm water drain near the sensory garden.

Suggestions will also be sought for a decorative feature for the sensory garden itself.

Mr. Murphy also advised Council that a new member to the Group had been welcomed to the recent annual meeting and had raised the matter of the condition of the Hay Street leash area for dogs, and the possibility of another such an area being established closer to the Kiamma Creek reserve, where many people currently walk their dogs.