To: Greater Shepparton City Council, with the Victorian Government and Transport Victoria

We are calling for immediate action to make Shepparton’s footpaths safe, accessible and connected for everyone.  

A person using a wheelchair or mobility scooter should never be forced onto a road because a footpath is unsafe, inaccessible, damaged, too narrow or simply does not connect.

SHEPPARTON — THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY. LET'S MAKE IT SAFE FOR EVERYONE.

THE PROBLEM
People across Greater Shepparton are navigating footpaths that can be uneven, damaged, narrow, obstructed or poorly connected.

For wheelchair and mobility-aid users, these conditions can create serious risks of falls, collisions, injury and harm.

Greater Shepparton City Council's own Mobility and Road Safety Strategy has identified concerns about footpath conditions, connectivity, kerb access and situations where people with mobility impairment may be forced onto roads.

The problem has been identified. Now we need action.

WHO IS AFFECTED?
This affects:

People using manual and electric wheelchairs
Mobility scooter users
People using walking aids
People with disability
Older residents
People recovering from injury
Parents and carers using prams
Anyone who depends on a safe footpath to move around our community
Across Australia, around 968,000 people with disability use mobility aids, according to the latest AIHW analysis of ABS data.

WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING
We call on Greater Shepparton City Council to ACT NOW to:

1. AUDIT
Immediately audit footpaths, kerbs, crossings and shared pathways across Greater Shepparton for accessibility and safety.

2. IDENTIFY
Publicly identify the locations presenting the greatest risk to pedestrians and mobility-aid users.

3. REPAIR
Prioritise and urgently repair dangerous, damaged and inaccessible footpaths and crossings.

4. CONNECT
Fix gaps in the footpath network so people are not forced onto roads to reach their destination.

5. DESIGN FOR EVERYONE
Ensure footpaths, kerb ramps and crossings accommodate manual wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other mobility aids.

6. LISTEN
Work directly with people with disability, mobility-aid users, carers and local community organisations when identifying priorities and designing solutions.

7. BE ACCOUNTABLE
Publish a clear action plan, priorities, responsible bodies and timeframes — and report publicly on progress.

BY WHEN?
We want action in Shepparton immediately.

We are calling for a publicly available action plan and priority list within 12 months, with serious and dangerous hazards addressed as a matter of urgency — not left to wait for another planning cycle.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS.

SIGN THIS PETITION.
CALL ON GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL TO ACT NOW.
Safe footpaths should not be a privilege.
Accessibility should not be an afterthought.
And people should not have to risk their safety just to get from one place to another.

SHEPPARTON — ACT NOW. MAKE OUR FOOTPATHS SAFE FOR EVERYONE.