Apsley Falla - the subject of the Walcha mosaic
A DECORATIVE mosaic footpath being installed in Fitzroy St, Walcha has had a few teething problems.
The footpath was designed as part of the town’s ongoing streetscape project but a number of residents had reported the surface of the footpath was too slippery.
In a report to the council meeting on Wednesday it was also suggested the work had exceeded the allocated budget.
The report said customers of the Foodworks supermarket, that neighbours the footpath, had reported having difficulty manoeuvring their trolleys on the slippery surface and elderly shoppers losing their footing.
It went on to explain the slippery problems were a result of the tiles having a polished area larger than initially anticipated when the work was proposed.
“After a number of unsuccessful attempts to coat the surface with anti-slip materials, the artist ground the surface of the mosaic which, although dulling the look of the mosaic, has made the surface satisfactory,” the report said.
An amount of $40,000 was made available for the footpath project in November last year and a further $35,000 was allocated in the 2012/ 2013 budget.
The final cost of the project however, was $28,000 more than those allocations.
After viewing the report, council resolved to provide an additional $35,000 in the Streetscape project budget this year, including the grinding of the patterned concrete under the awnings in front of the IGA and Foodworks supermarkets.
A further $5000 was added to the Public Art 2012/ 2013 budget toward the cost of the footpath mosaic in front of Foodworks.
The mosaic depicts the nearby Apsley Falls.