Julieanne Ditchfield has not been able to walk without a walking frame since she contracted the debilitating Lyme disease in 2011.

The grandmother and resident of Lal Lal Street enjoys walking with her grandchildren to the newly refurbished Lake Esmond – but says increased traffic, a complete lack of infrastructure and a “blind spot” has made her to fearful to do so.

“There is no structured footpath and a sharp bend, making it difficult to see oncoming traffic,” Ms Ditchfield said.

“There is limited space to get off the road.” 

Ms Ditchfield said recent development in the area had led to a significant increase in the area’s foot and motor traffic.

“They allow for sub-division, promise infrastructure. The development happens but there is no infrastructure,” Ms Ditchfield said.

Speaking directly about the issue Ballarat mayor Des Hudson agreed it was important for council to ensure infrastructure continued to be reviewed and developed in growth zones. 

“Obviously there is no footpath out there at the moment and I am not aware of any plans to build one there in the near future,” Cr Hudson said.

“I would urge the residents to see if other people in the area are wanting a footpath and it could be considered as an area where a co-contributed footpath could be developed.” 

If a co-contributed footpath was approved – residents would pay a combined 50 per cent of the costs, with council footing the remaining 50 per cent of the bill. 

“We need to continue to look at areas where Ballarat is growing … we need to ensure we have a good network for people to be able to get around and live in the area,” Cr Hudson said.

Ms Ditchfield said it was “an absolute joke” that residents should be expected to foot 50 per cent of the bill for a footpath. 

“What do we pay rates for? People like me have no use for an olympic sized swimming pool … but footpaths and pedestrian crossings are an absolute fundamental part of our infrastructure,” Ms Ditchfield said.

She called on the council to fund the footpath to ensure all residents could safely cross the road and enjoy the lake, which received significant investment.