A south-west Sydney suburb has been described as a "third-world country" following the emergence of a photograph depicting a mother navigating an unpaved roadside with a pram. The image, taken on Ingleburn Road in Leppington, highlights concerns over infrastructure failing to keep pace with the area's rapid population growth.
Austral resident Monique, 26, captured the photograph and expressed her frustration with the conditions. "It was taken 100m away from Woolies," she told Yahoo News, emphasizing the proximity to amenities. "I've just had enough of seeing it. I felt helpless because I can't do anything."
Monique stated that the stretch of Ingleburn Road, which has a speed limit of 70km/h, is one of many streets within the Camden Council local government area lacking footpaths. She pointed to the swift transformation of the region from farmland to a growing residential community as a reason for urgent infrastructure improvements.
"Every morning I see mothers walking on the edges of roads trying to drop off their kids to school, as they only live metres away from it," Monique said. "It scares me when you see people speeding down 4th Avenue, for example, and children walking alongside the road."
Camden Council indicated in May that upgrades to Ingleburn Road, including road widening, new traffic lights, kerbs, guttering, street lighting, and footpaths, were planned. A council spokesperson informed Yahoo News that the NSW government is responsible for funding these upgrades and has allocated funds to the council for detailed design preparation.
"Council is advocating for funding to enable construction to commence as soon as possible, as part of its The Time is Now advocacy campaign to bring forward critical infrastructure for growing communities," the spokesperson said. "At this stage, the NSW government has not yet allocated any construction funding and, as a result, a delivery timeframe cannot be confirmed."
Leppington MP Nathan Hagarty stressed the urgency of the necessary improvements. "I think footpaths to and from major shopping centres and public transport areas, and schools are a no-brainer, not just for safety reasons, but it also means less cars on the road," Hagarty stated. He added that he is willing to collaborate with the council on short-term solutions such as footpaths, intersection upgrades, or crossings.
"Given we've seen [similar photos before] and this issue come up again, safety should be a number one priority, and I think we need to work on that while we chip away at the long-term solutions," Hagarty said.
