The ACT Government paid out about $6 million for footpath-related personal injury claims between 2020 and 2025.
Over the same period, the government spent $1.7 million on legal costs related to footpath injury claims.
The figures have been provided in answers to questions on notice from independent MLA Thomas Emerson to Attorney-General Tara Cheyne.
Mr Emerson said it was alarming that the government was having to pay out such significant sums of money because of footpath-related injuries.
He said poor quality footpaths were bad for the city, bad for the budget and bad for the community.
“We could save a lot of money and pain by fixing damaged footpaths before Canberrans are injured by them,” he said.
“How many footpaths could have been repaired or upgraded with the millions of dollars we’re spending on footpath-related injury payouts and legal costs?”
Mr Emerson said there was also a significant human cost attached to damaged footpaths.
“A footpath in need of repair can leave people, particularly those with mobility restrictions, feeling stranded and isolated in their own neighbourhood,” he said.
Last month Mr Emerson moved a motion in the Legislative Assembly about gaps in the ACT’s footpath and bike path networks.
The Assembly passed the motion, amended by the Liberals and Greens, which called on the government to publish and regularly update a register of all path network projects and investigate a pavement condition target for all community paths in the ACT.
Read the full article here: https://region.com.au/governments-footpath-injury-payout-bill-alarming/912449/