Footpath spat erupts in one of Australia's priciest suburbs: 'Ridiculous'
A bitter debate has erupted among residents living in one of Australia's most expensive suburbs, following the local council's decision to install over 30 new bus stop shelters around the area. A woman from Sydney's Eastern Suburbs described one shelter as a "giant advertising screen", saying that she believes it's visually intrusive and detracts from the natural beauty of the Rose Bay promenade.
She claimed there was "zero community consultation" on the rollout of the shelters and pointed to Mosman Council's approach, which reportedly involved full community engagement and accommodation of objections before installing 22 shelters.
The woman also raised safety and accessibility concerns about the Wintergarden stop — described as Rose Bay's "most exclusive and prestigious apartment complex" — claiming the placement forces pedestrians "to walk single file" on an otherwise heavily trafficked footpath.
"It is absolutely ridiculous, Woollahra Council placing this giant advertising screen outside the Wintergarden, blocking this very busy footpath which is enjoyed by so many," she blasted.
"So many use this footpath commuting to the Rose Bay ferry, walking to the fabulous updated children's playground in Lynne Park and enjoying the magnificent Rose Bay promenade walk. This is so very wrong. We must protect and preserve our streetscape and ensure that the community is engaged in the placement of these bus shelters."
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson for Woollahra Council explained that the featured advertising helped pay for the shelters and "contributes to the cost of providing essential services" to the community. "They provide excellent shelter and shade for commuters," they said.
But locals continued to argue online about their placement. "Rain protection and advertising revenue to keep your council rates lower. What's the issue?" a local said.
"Perhaps think of the seniors waiting for a bus who appreciate having somewhere to sit while they wait," another woman weighed in. "However, I totally agree that the size of the screen is absurd. It makes no sense to have it that wide."
Another asked: "I wonder what the disability council has to say about these?"
"No proper access for wheelchairs and mobility aids to pass by and no alerts for vision-impaired members of the community to safely navigate around," they said. One woman echoed the original poster's sentiment. "These are disgusting eyesores around Rose Bay, I agree," she said.
For its part, Woollahra Council said that before the commencement of all installations, "each site was assessed to ensure the shelters were placed safely and appropriately".
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"And notifications were issued to nearby residents and businesses, providing opportunity for feedback," they stated. "Further site assessments were then conducted and modifications considered, based on concerns raised through this process."
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