COUNCILLOR Monica Morse has been backed by local residents in her campaign for more seating on the way into town.
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Several weeks ago Cr Morse raised the issue at a council meeting, calling for there to be a report on the issue.
It is her argument that elderly people who still walk to and from town are unable to make the journey without taking a break every so often.
“I’ve noticed the increasing number of people walking into town and a lot of them are older people,” Cr Morse said.
With limited seating available on the roads leading to the CBD, this task is made almost impossible.
More older people are downsizing from their larger homes on the outskirts of town into units closer to the CBD along Rocket, Lambert, Piper, and Keppel streets, making seating more of a necessity.
“A lot of older people are moving into those streets,” Cr Morse said.
“The only seating that I know of is at the bus stop on Howick Street and in our parks.”
Bathurst residents John and Rita Eccles wrote a letter to the Western Advocate earlier this week mirroring the comments made by Cr Morse.
They have seen very little seating on the approach to town and any they do see are few and far between.
“For example, consider a person with intentions to walk from Trinity Heights shops to the river park at Elders Bridge along Hereford Street,” their letter read.
“There is but one seat in that distance, about half a kilometre between. It’s an impossible situation for a lot of persons with little gas in the tank, or having a knee or back problem.”
Mr and Mrs Eccles suggested Bathurst incorporate a system used in other cities where members of the public donate benches.
“The cost of the provision of a standard public seat is by a donation by a member of the public. A bronze plate on the back of the seat features an inscription to the memory of a loved one,” they said.
Cr Morse said it is a good idea, but believed it is up to council to provide seating for the older community and place it “strategically” around town to suit the housing density.
“They know where the concentration of units is,” she said.
The next step is for a report to be developed for council’s review that will hopefully then lead to the installation of seating at a low cost.
“It’s not an expensive issue; it is not a big expenditure,” Cr Morse said.