Just Street in Goonellabah has seen some big changes in the last three years as a housing development meant an extension of the street to Dudley Drive from Oliver Avenue.

Houses have been built along Just Street as well as newly created lower Apo Street, Kestrel Court and the recent land release at Wedgetail Court and Bowerbird Court adjacent to the majestic Moreton Bay Fig Tree and at the back of Tucki Tucki Creek.

An extra 30 houses are expected to be built in the new development adding more traffic to what is now a busy through road.

The increase in population on and around Just Street, with more to come, means residents are left with a distinct lack of walking paths to exercise or walk their dogs. In the late afternoon, pedestrians are sharing the road with motorists and many parked cars on the side of the road.

It appears that developers were not required to make contribution fees to build a footpath for pedestrians from Dudley Drive to Oliver Avenue.

Stephen Nelson is the coordinator of the recently formed Just Street Landcare Group.

Stephen is presenting a proposal to Lismore City Councillors tomorrow evening at council chambers to extend the existing urban green corridor along the Tucki Tucki Creek in Goonellabah to south of Oliver Avenue; creating a new asset that meets the recreational needs of a rapidly increasing local population and the wider Lismore community.

Stephen said this would be "A contemporary best-practice extension of the urban green corridor which occupies over two kilometres of regenerated rainforest along both sides of the Tucki Tucki Creek in Goonellabah to south of Oliver Avenue, in order to create a new Just Street Walk to Fig Tree Park."

New Just Street Walk SECTION ONE (concept illustration drawn to scale, but indicative only)

New Just Street Walk SECTION TWO (concept illustration drawn to scale, but indicative only)

"This will provide a new recreation and exercise asset for the wider community, in a residential area experiencing dramatic growth."

Design and Construction

The Just Street Walk to Fig Tree Park has been designed as an unbroken sealed pathway with multiple entry points measuring not more than an estimated 650m in length. It includes the option of traversing a more natural 100m walkway running below and parallel to the sealed pathway up on Just Street, which overlooks and is close to Tucki Tucki Creek.

Initial investigations have revealed that approximately 385m of new all weather sealed pathway will need to be constructed. The walk has been designed as a ‘loop’ so users can turn around and retrace their steps.

(An artists impression of the proposed new urban green corridor on Just Street. Image: supplied)

In the future, the walk as presently envisaged could expand and include another ‘loop’ from the bottom of Fig Tree Park along the narrow sealed service road which joins up with the turnaround bay in Bowerbird Court off Just Street closer to Dudley Drive.

Within the length of the new walk, the Tucki Tucki Creek flows through a wide variety of stream bank and creek side locations which are worthy of discovery and enjoyment. It is not proposed to construct ancillary paths down to the water’s edge requiring any built form. Rather; a series of narrow tracks could be created via a ‘minimalist’ approach, which would still allow access for those members of the public who wanted to explore ‘off the beaten path’.

Other considerations include the need to preserve and protect the natural habitat for the range of wildlife which inhabits the area, including waterdragons, frogs, wild ducks, waterfowl and copious other avian species, goannas, snakes, platypus and wallabies.