New Goondiwindi footpath connects newly-opened respite centre to town CBD

A new footpath will now connect the newly-opened Care Goondiwindi respite centre to McLean Street and the Goondiwindi CBD, providing safe pedestrian access to the busy main street.

Goondiwindi Regional Council has constructed the 65-metre concrete footpath along the northern side of Bowen Street. The new footpath connects the corner of the existing concrete walkway on McLean Street to Care Goondiwindi’s three new respite apartments.

Opened in February, the self-contained units provide local NDIS recipients and their carers with short-term accommodation and access to services.

Council secured $2,278,106 from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Grant (LRCI) for local road improvements and social infrastructure projects across the Goondiwindi Region in 2021-22, and allocated $15,000 towards the new footpath.

Council also contributed an additional $5,000 towards the project.

Cr Jason Watts holds Council’s portfolio for Roads and Transport. He said the walkway was an important project for providing access between the respite centre and the town’s shops and services.

“This footpath is a terrific new asset for our community,” Cr Watts said. “We all know just how important road safety is, and this walkway is a great addition to our new respite facility as it means those utilising the service can safely walk to and from the apartments and the great range of businesses within our local CBD.

“It also further extends Goondiwindi’s extensive pubic footpath network, improving pedestrian safety for our community more broadly,” he said.

The new footpath follows a number of recent road safety projects across the Goondiwindi Region, including the construction of a new footpath at the junction of McLean Street and Callandoon Street, recent footpath and pedestrian crossing upgrades along Herbert and Callandoon Street, and the construction of a new footpath along Eena Street in Yelarbon.

It also complements the recent construction of a new footpath along Wilson Street in Texas (from Avon Street to Broadway Street), which now helps to connect a number of residential units for older people, as well as a local kindergarten, to the Texas CBD.

Council’s concrete crew were able to begin and complete construction of the Bowen Street footpath in March.

Mayor of the Goondiwindi Region the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM said that external funding programs like the LRCI grant were an important opportunity for local councils to put money towards meaningful infrastructure projects.

“As always, public infrastructure is the priority for this council,” Cr Springborg said. “The LRCI grant has provided the perfect opportunity to invest in an important piece of community infrastructure that will benefit visitors to the new respite centre for decades to come,” the Mayor said.

Speaking at the opening of the Care Goondiwindi units, Cr Springborg said the respite centre would allow those in need will be able to remain closer to their family, friends and home while accessing the care they require.

"By successfully funding the Bowen Street footpath project externally, Council has been able to invest in the improved safety and accessibility of the Goondiwindi CBD - at no extra cost to the ratepayer.”