To all who wanted to see if it was practical to establish a pathway down the road reserve from Hawkstone to Croyden Road - please see the response I received back from a City of Armadale Officer who walked the section with me and the Director of Parks and Gardens recently...

"Cr Hart

As discussed on site this morning, the following points (which basically result in a footpath being constructed along the un-made Hawkstone Rd road reserve being impractical)

● I have carried out some basic cost estimates to determine approximate costs if a concrete path (for example) was to be constructed for the 200m length of unmade road reserve. Due to the extensive earthworks that would be required to create the required footpath box, which as we discovered may involve some form of rock breaking, an approximate costing for the path would be in the vicinity of $ 60,000. This figure however assumes that vehicular access will be possible to carry out the earthworks and path installation, however again it is difficult to see how machinery could access this section of the road reserve.

● A significant concern with the construction of a hardstand surface such as concrete along this grade of land (which visually would appear to be in the vicinity of 15 to 20%) is that run-off will be difficult to contain due to the loss of potential permeability that current exists and hence may result in erosion and scour at the Croyden Road end. The other obvious concern in the steepness of the path which at 20% is not ideal and could in fact be dangerous. An alternative to prevent this grade is to meander the path parallel with the contours, which will obviously increase the path length and hence cost i.e. more materials required and importantly increased earthworks.

● The other concern from an erosion control issue is the potential for serious scour and erosion during construction with the significant earthworks required. Similarly the existing material, which seems to consist of native and exotic vegetation seems to assist to stabilise the surface (the City does not seem to receive complaints about run-off and erosion from this road reserve), which once earth worked however will detrimentally affect this stabilised surface. There are obvious measures to assist to reduce erosion such as sand bagging downstream, erection of silt fencing etc., however with the watercourse within extremely close proximity; there is the potential for increase sediment and contamination to enter the watercourse."