By Parker McKenzie
Yarra Ranges Council has closed a publicly open staircase in Upwey after a woman slipped and injured herself on Thursday 19 May.
After the woman was taken to Dandenong Hospital in a stable condition with lower-leg injuries by Ambulance Victoria, Yarra Ranges Council blocked the staircase with a safety webbing on Friday 20 May while the hazard is investigated and the safety rail is repaired.
Director of Environment and Infrastructure Mark Varmalis said Yarra Ranges Council became concerned after a media report of a woman being hospitalised after slipping on a staircase between Hakea Street and Pauline Avenue in Upwey.
“The staircase has a guiding safety rail, however it can become very slippery when wet on the bluestones, especially in colder months,” he said.
“In the last week, we’ve had three complaints about the stairs, all three noting the slipping hazard, and that the safety rail is broken at the bottom of the staircase. It appears the bluestones are uneven and have dislodged over the years.”
The staircase has been temporarily closed off until a permanent solution is put in place.
“The stairs have been closed off with safety webbing while our teams investigate the hazard and repair the safety rail,” Mr Varmalis said.
“We wish the woman a speedy recovery and will work to make this staircase safer for our community members.”
Jan Hindmarsh, who lives nearby, said there have been several incidents resulting in ambulance call-outs in the past related to the state of the road and a dangerous set of stairs.
“I’ve been told by a very old neighbour that around 40 years ago all the locals got together and built the stairs,” she said.
“This is the second time in three months an ambulance has been called because of injuries in my street.”
The nearby unsealed road, which connects with Pauline Avenue, also saw another accident in early March resulting in an ambulance responding to the incident when somebody fell into a deep rut created by heavy rain.
Ms Hindmarsh said the road had been graded and repaired, but heavy rains will wash away completed works.
“I haven’t been able to back into my driveway for at least six months,” she said.
“The kids who live on Pauline Avenue come down here to go to primary school and people are walking their dogs all the time. It is a high traffic area.”
Ms Hindmarsh put in a complaint regarding the safety of the staircase and road in early March with Yarra Ranges Council.
The connecting road between the two streets was previously classified as a private road.
