DEAR News Of The Area,

AS a new resident to Tea Gardens I have some observations to make about living in this community.

I have moved from a regional city in NSW of 40,000 people with a large number of elderly and disabled people as am I.

I get around on a scooter most of the time, so these issues may not affect everyone the same.

1. The footpaths in Tea Gardens are very poor for a community of this size.

There is no continuous footpath/bike path from one end of Tea Gardens to the other.

The main street has many sections where there is no paved path on either side so scooters/pedestrians etc. need to use the roadway with its inherent dangers.

This is especially true of the industrial area where access is only by the road.

I estimate about a kilometre of footpath is needed to bring it up to a reasonable standard and make it safe.

2. Many shops do not have a flat access or a ramp for walkers/scooters/wheelchairs.

These include the fish and chip shop, the ice cream shop, the bakery and many others. The initial legislation to enforce access for disabled people was introduced in the 1980s so now that we are in 2024 it’s about time.

You would think these merchants would recognise the business opportunity good access makes as about fifteen percent of the population has mobility issues.

As I intend to live here for a long time I will continue to advocate for these things to be fixed.

If you have similar thoughts drop me a line and we can plan a campaign to get these things done as soon as possible so that Tea Gardens can be an even better place for us all.

Yours faithfully,
John GLEESON,
Tea Gardens.