Warrnambool mayor Jacinta Ermacora (front) meets residents lobbying for a Moore Street footpath (from left) Jarrod Petherick, 14, Kerry Petherick, Harry White, 12, Warrnambool College principal Mary Pendergast, Darcy White, 17, and Frank Lamb.
COMMUNITY pleas for a footpath along Moore Street and a new north Warrnambool kindergarten are high on the priority list for Warrnambool mayor Jacinta Ermacora’s re-election campaign.
Residents and Warrnambool College principal Mary Pendergast met with Cr Ermacora yesterday to air their concerns, particularly regarding pedestrian safety issues on Moore Street.
With the population edging towards more than 5000 residents in the vicinity, young families would benefit from improved infrastructure and services, Cr Ermacora said.
Resident Kerry Petherick said she had witnessed a number of near-misses involving people and cars sharing Moore Street near the racecourse.
She said a path would improve safety, encouraging pedestrians to use it.
“You would double the amount of (foot) traffic if we had a path there,” Ms Petherick said.
Ms Pendergast estimated more than 100 students walked or rode along the road each day.
“In the winter students are disinclined to hop off the road into the wet grass when it’s muddy and boggy,” she said.
Cr Ermacora said a new kindergarten was also needed in the area.
“Currently five of the six kindergartens run by Warrnambool City Council in Warrnambool are on the south side of the highway,” she said.
“A new kinder at the Brierly Reserve would meet the needs of the growing community in the north-east of our city.”
