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In the heart of Brisbane, with City Hall within stumbling distance, this footpath on Ann Street is a tripping hazard rollercoaster, with undulating waves on its uneven and cracked brick surface.
The CBD is the biggest hotspot for footpath issues in Brisbane, with dozens of complaints about broken, cracked and uneven surfaces.
The cracked and uneven footpath at 160 Ann Street in Brisbane’s CBD.Credit: Felicity Caldwell
And for Caitlin McMorrow, who is totally blind and has a guide dog, the condition of the city’s footpaths makes a huge difference to her ability to travel independently, as she relies on walking and public transport.
While the city centre topped the list for footpath maintenance requests, Coorparoo, Fortitude Valley, West End, Annerley, South Brisbane and Kedron were not far behind.
On the day we accessed council’s open-data platform, more than 3700 footpath complaints were outstanding across Brisbane, with issues including broken or cracked surfaces, blocked pathways, and overgrown tree roots.
When it came to footpath obstructions, the city, Valley, Coorparoo, Upper Mount Gravatt, South Brisbane, Indooroopilly and Toowong had the most reports, which could be anything from cars parked over footpaths, illegal dumping, or tree branches blocking paths.
McMorrow said footpath issues could make basic travel “quite dangerous” and affected the confidence of people with low vision to get out in the community.
“That’s overhanging branches, cracks in the path due to tree roots, e-scooters being parked where they shouldn’t be, signage boards not being particularly thoughtfully placed,” she said.
“There’s the risk of trips, falls and injuries as a result of that.
“And if there’s something obstructing the footpath, like an overhanging branch, you’ve often got to step off the gutter and onto the road, potentially just out into traffic.”
Caitlin McMorrow, who is totally blind, struggles with uneven or obstructed footpaths.
A Vision Australia spokesman said broken footpaths and other obstructions were a safety risk for the blind or vision impaired.
“It’s important that authorities actively maintain footpaths and keep them clear of obstructions to not only ensure the safety of people who are blind or have low vision, but so our community can have confidence that they can navigate their surroundings independently like anyone else,” he said.
Queensland Walks executive officer Anna Campbell said 67 per cent of people who used the organisation’s Walk my Street tool reported their footpath was not well-maintained.
“Every resident of Brisbane is a pedestrian at some point, yet our footpaths, roadway allocation and poor quality of safe crossings tell the story of chronic underinvestment in walking provision in Brisbane,” she said.
“A connected and cohesive walking network is critical to keep Brisbane residents moving.”
Labor opposition leader Jared Cassidy accused Brisbane City Council of neglecting footpaths.
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“The crumbling footpaths on the Story Bridge are a symbol of what’s happening right across Brisbane,” he said.
But Danita Parry, the acting chair of council’s infrastructure committee, said crews acted fast to make repairs to damaged footpaths within hours.
“Footpaths also need repairs at times because of things like tree roots, ground movement and vehicles illegally driving or parking on them,” she said.
“When things like this happen, we fix them as part of our routine footpath maintenance program.”
Council delivered almost 30,000 square metres of footpaths in the past financial year, including 5076 square metres of new footpaths and 24,696 square metres of reconstructed footpaths.
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