Fig Street kerb a hazard, says resident

BY DHEEPTHI NAMASIVAYAM
The City of Sydney has reassured Ultimo residents that the broken kerb on the corner of Fig and Quarry Streets will be fixed by October.
The footpath has already been refurbished as part of council’s Harris Street upgrade, but some residents are concerned the crooked kerb is a safety risk.
‘The worst thing about the footpath is the kerb around some of the trees, where the upper layer around the tree has broken into bits,’ said the chair of Ultimo Village Voice Yimmy Seifert.
The footpath and kerb have split into several layers over the years as a result of the thick tree roots pushing through the concrete footpath.
‘The road is broken and it’s really dangerous,’ Ms Seifert added. ‘Especially if you’re trying to get into a car or taxi from the footpath.’
She said a workman told her a month ago that council had ordered the footpath to be upgraded, but that this did not include repairing the dangerous kerb.
A council spokesperson agreed that the damage to the footpath has been caused by tree roots, but said the repairs will take time because of the potential risk to the trees.
‘Given the sensitive nature of this work, it needs to be performed by a specialist stonemason, working with the city’s Arborist to repair the stone kerb without damaging the tree,’ the spokeman said.
‘This presents the best option for pedestrians and the health of the tree.’