At the June Shire Council meeting a decision was made to include an upgrade of the footpaths in the Murrumburrah commercial area along Albury Street in the 2008/10 management plan for the Shire. After the Draft Management Plan went on public exhibition a submission was received from eleven Murrumburrah businesses expressing concern that the draft budget for the ensuing year had not included any allocation of funds for the upgrading of footpaths in their area. They also stressed the urgency for the work to be carried out due to the significant increase in business and pedestrian traffic in the area. The area has been continuously overlooked in previous budgets which have had many locals wondering just when something would be done to improve the safety of the area. The lumps and bumps from tree roots and potholes on the footpaths have caused many unsuspecting pedestrians injury after they have suffered a fall from the uneven surfaces of the degraded footpath. An historic photo in the window of the Barnes Buildings shows that the area in front of the building has remained relatively unchanged since those early days of Murrumburrah.

Council has decided to fund a proposed $500,000 external loan for the Geoff Kruger Memorial Medical Centre from internal reserves. This has freed-up some capacity to source external loan borrowings in order to fund other capital projects of priority such as the streetscape works in the Murrumburrah CBD. Engineering staff are putting together a detailed project costing for the required works which is estimated to cost $500,000. The areas that will receive attention include the footpath from the Caltex service station through to the Barnes Buildings, and across the road from the Terracotta Restaurant to the Courthouse (not including areas previously upgraded). It is suggested that if council wish to proceed, the project could be commenced in late 2008/09 and finished as a continuing project into 2009/10.