Sarah-Lynn Eade said she was lucky she wasn't seriously injured when she fell from her electric wheelchair on the new footpath near the Town Beach carpark three weeks ago.
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"The fall knocked my confidence and scared my children," she said.
"I went down the path and it's too steep for someone in a wheelchair."
Ms Eade said her chair went off the footpath and into the gutter which caused her to be "thrown" from her wheelchair.
"I was so lucky that I hadn't broken anything," she said.
Ms Eade sustained burns on her left arm from the road, bad bruising and scrapes from the fall.
Michael Lord also uses an electric wheelchair and said he often has trouble navigating the pathway between Town Beach and the breakwall.
"I've had some near misses along the footpath near Town Beach," he said.
"The cars are often parked over the footpath and there isn't enough room."
Mr Lord said his wheelchair, combined with his weight, is about 300 kilograms and there have been times where he has become bogged along the stretch of footpath because it's not wide enough.
"There was one time where four men had to help me after I had to move off the path and got stuck," he said.
Both Ms Eade and Mr Lord are calling on Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to reinstate the Access Committee to give their voice to help improve the safety of paths, kerbs, roads and open spaces for people with a disability.
The council's Access Committee was replaced by the Community Inclusion Committee in February 2021. The Inclusion Committee was one of nine council committees, working parties and groups that were abolished in February 2022.
Councillor Nik Lipovac said there are concerns in the community about how people with disabilities can access certain facilities and amenities.
"We're calling on the council to consider reinstating the Access Committee," Cr Lipovac said.
Mr Lord said it's "great that the council has built new paths, but the older paths need work".
"It would be good to have the committee back so there can be a few of us on there to have a say and make the town safer for all people who have a disability," he said.
"It's my goal to be that voice for people with a disability."
Ms Eade said people of all abilities should have the same options in accessing community facilities and amenities.
"We need this committee so that everyone has a say and when something is being built," she said.
"I would love to help be a voice for people."
Council's response
A Port Macquarie-Hastings Council spokesperson said the council has made contact with Ms Eade to express their concern over her recent experience at Town Beach.
"We appreciate that mobility access to Town Beach is recognised as a concern for our community, and it is a challenging issue to resolve due to the level differences from the street level to the foreshore/beach," the spokesperson said.
The section of path in which Ms Eade's fall occurred was installed last year following ongoing feedback around a lack of path access to Town Beach.
The council spokesperson said the access path was installed to alleviate the issue of people walking down Alban Place, or the grassed verges of this road to Town Beach.
Additional path works were also undertaken at the time on Stewart Street, as there were missing links on either side of Alban Place and no path connection to the pedestrian crossing of Stewart Street.
Further improvements in path connectivity are also occurring through works in Rotary Park, which will link across to William Street and around the park.
"Concept plans have previously been looked at with respect to mobility access to Town Beach," the spokesperson said.
"This is quite a major undertaking in terms of engineering given the level difference from road level to the foreshore/beach area and the need for compliant grades, and to obtain environmental approvals.
"Planning of a route shall continue as part of the development of a masterplan for the Town Beach precinct.
Development of the Town Beach Masterplan has also commenced, with a key part of this being pedestrian access around the area, including compliant access from street level down to the foreshore/beach area.
"The intent is that this masterplan will be shared with the community for engagement later in 2024," the spokesperson said.
Through the engagement process, the council will target key stakeholders, including people with a disability.
"It will be important to hear from them to inform the finalisation of our plans."
The council has also recently developed a Community Inclusion Plan, which outlines key short-term actions to ensure continual improvement in access to public spaces, buildings and infrastructure for all.
"As part of this, we're undertaking accessibility audits on council-owned property, including building, facilities and outdoor spaces each year, to ensure people with a disability have access to community facilities and spaces," the spokesperson said.
A council resolution is required to establish a new committee or reinstate previously existing ones such as the Community Inclusion Committee.
