TARRAGANDA’S Jeanette Westmore has spent the last two months in pain and on crutches, and is only now returning to work.
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Eight weeks ago, Ms Westmore slipped on one of the feature pavers dotted along Carp St’s footpaths and fractured her foot.
She is now calling for the pavers’ removal and for council to acknowledge her claim for out-of-pocket expenses.
“I was walking along Carp St – it was drizzling with rain,” Ms Westmore said of the incident.
“There’s a feature tile outside the Bega District News office.
“I slipped, my foot rolled and I nearly fell over.
“I hobbled back to the car, but by the time I got home it was excruciating and I couldn’t walk.”
Ms Westmore had fractured her metatarsal – the bone in the side of her foot – and was in a cast for seven weeks.
She has only recently returned to work from extended sick leave, but is still getting around on crutches.
“I told the council straightaway, suggesting they should remove the tiles as they are dangerous,” she said.
“I received no response, so rang Mr Tarpey (BVSC insurance and risk officer Mel Tarpey) to tell him of my fracture and he indicated to me the council had previously sprayed the tiles with a slip-resistant coating - which clearly didn’t work - and said it is now considering removing the tiles altogether.
“I’ve lost count of the people who have said to me they’ve slipped themselves or know of someone who has.
“I can’t believe they haven’t done anything about it yet,” she said.
A council spokesperson said the council conducted a risk assessment of the pavers in Carp St and the result of this assessment was to coat them in a non-slip spray.
“Further risk assessments are currently being undertaken, which may result in removal of these pavers in the future,” the spokesperson said.
“As part of council’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP), its medium to long-term plans, council will be conducting a review of the complete streetscape as part of the CBD Enhancement Program.
“Bega’s streetscape is scheduled for review after the completion of the Bega bypass.
“Until this point, council will continue to monitor the pavers and manage their maintenance on a needs basis, which may include removal of the feature tiles.”
Ms Westmore said she put in a claim to the council, requesting it cover her medical expenses.
She received a letter from Mr Tarpey stating because the council had attempted to fix the problem, it “can’t find any indication of negligence and so will not accept liability”.
“I wasn’t going to be greedy with the claim,” Ms Westmore said.
“I am just after out-of-pocket expenses, which amounts to around $200.
“It’s not about compensation, it’s a matter of principle.”
The council said insurance claims are thoroughly investigated on a case-by-case basis, but didn’t elaborate on this particular case as it’s a “private and confidential matter between the council and the individual in particular”.
