These boots are made for walking.......

Well, thats the way the song goes. In my case its a well-worn pair of joggers. My election campaign is rather simple - in the days leading up to the election I aim to visit as many homes in the Shire as possible to meet the residents and to leave my election flyer or place it in their letterbox. My feet tell me at the end of a days walking that there are many kilometers of nature strips and footpaths in the Shire to walk. Walking makes me very aware of the good and not so good nature strips and footpaths to walk on. Some are easy going - level, no obstacles, well lit at night, but others are a nightmare to walk along - rough, jagged concrete edges, tree roots and so forth. No wonder you see people walking and pushing prams on the roads rather than the footpaths. A few months ago I tripped over on a rough footpath in Muswellbrook and had a visit to hospital for an x-ray to check out the damage to my foot. Fortunately no major damage, just swelling, bruising and pain for several weeks. I feel for the more mature residents of the Shire who find it difficult walking on some of our nature strips and footpaths. If elected to Council I will work hard to make it a high priority to bring up the standard of our existing nature strips and footpaths. In high pedestrian traffic areas (easily seen by by bare dirt and no lawn growing) there should be well constructed concreted footpaths, particularly around places like schools, businesses & shops, playgrounds and parks, sporting facilities, hospitals, cemeteries etc. The overall appearance of the landscape will be improved and walking made more safe for people of all ages.