A SEVERE lack of drainage has rendered a community walking track useless.
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Readers’ Champ this week spoke with Alfredton residents who refuse to use a waterlogged track surrounding a section of Alfredton Reserve.
A second oval at the reserve was developed in 2011 and replaced existing walking tracks and trees.
Residents Ray Atkinson and Tonya Shields live in houses that back onto the reserve and are outraged about the development of the new oval.
They say the view is shared by most residents in the area, who can no longer walk their dogs around the path that is submerged in some areas.
They have contacted council in the past and asked that something be done about the path and the drainage issue.
Ray lives in Dorset Drive and said there was no drainage system on the ground itself and the water ran off and into the residents’ backyards.
He said in some cases water run-off into properties that backed onto the reserve had become so bad residents could not mow their lawns.
“The path can’t be used during the winter. There used to be a hell of a lot of people using it (the path), but now you simply can’t,” Ray said.
“We used to walk our dogs out here.
“Now we can’t.
“In some sections, the path just disappears.
“Something has to be done.”
Tonya’s property is in Cheviot Court, and she was disappointed the footpaths had been totally destroyed.
“Residents up here are very angry about it and council refuse to do anything about it,” Tonya said.
“We used to walk around there, with our two dogs, but now we can’t.
“The area had been neglected for about two years now.
“I have contacted council on numerous occasions and they refuse to do anything.”
Attempts to contact Ballarat City Council for comment were unsuccessful.