This morning I was invited to speak to the Croydon Stroke Support Group about my role as a Maroondah Councillor and to hear any concerns raised by members.

The discussion focussed strongly on Maroondah’s footpaths and the needs of pedestrians. Maroondah Council recently passed a Pedestrian Strategy which provides a framework to address the lack of footpaths within parts of the municipality. The Pedestrian Strategy will be reinforce by a Footpath Construction Policy which will enable Council to facilitate new footpaths particularly within areas that connect to schools, shops and public transport.

The Pedestrian Strategy also sets new standards in regard to footpath maintenance which will lead to an ongoing improvement to the condition of footpaths within Maroondah. This will lead to reduction in cracked and uneven footpaths making it easier for people to walk throughout Maroondah.

A number of concerns were raised in regard to the lack of adequate time to cross traffic lights, particularly in roads such as Maroondah Highway and Warrandyte Road. Unfortunately many of these roads are under the jurisdiction of VicRoads but council and myself personally have been advocating for longer pedestrian cycles to make it safer for people to cross the road. It is imperative that VicRoads listens to the community and realises that is responsible for the needs of pedestrians as well as vehicles.

The Croydon Stroke Support Group provides a support network for people who have suffered a stroke andprovides a range of activities for members, including guest speakers and social outings. It was a pleasure to speak to the group and I look forward to further discussions as we seek to improve the mobility of Maroondah.