AN ALEXANDRA Hills road, on which more than 200 people live, has no street lights, leaving residents fearing that a pedestrian or cyclist will be knocked by a car at night.
Cr Tracey Huges said she had been pushing the council for three years for lights to be installed on St Anthony's Drive because paramedics, couriers and visitors had difficulty finding homes in the dark.
She said people who had called an ambulance one night were distressed when the paramedics were unable to find their complex.
"This is really unacceptable and I am embarrassed and shocked that council will not be installing these lights," she said.
There are about five complexes with about 80 units housing more than 200 people on St Anthony's Drive, along with the St Anthony's Catholic Parish, school, childcare and hall.
Cr Huges said she was disappointed that officers had not included the $100,000 needed for the lights in this year's budget.
Resident Irene Highton said there had been close calls with children walking or riding, even on footpaths, in the evening and nearly being hit by a car.
"If you are coming out of a complex entrance it is difficult to see them," Ms Highton said.
She also feared that women could be in danger walking home along the street when it was dark.
"The only lighting we have is from the church and small bollard lighting from the complex," she said. "It's a real concern for most people here.
"We have 80 units all paying rates and we can't even get street lights."
During the council's budget debate in June Cr Huges said the project was shovel-ready as designs were funded last year.
She said lights had not been installed when the complexes were built because the council had made an error by not making lighting a development condition.
"Once the assets are installed they will be handed over to Energex on completion for their ongoing maintenance as per normal procedure so there will be no additional cost to council," Cr Huges said.
A council spokeswoman said typically roads were built with lighting when land was sub-divided. St Anthony Drive was built as part of a special needs and aged persons housing complex.
"As this development was required to take access from the unformed part of St Anthony Drive, a condition of the approval required the development to construct a road and footpath," the spokeswoman said.
"This was necessary for access to the development and therefore reasonable, although a significant impost. This was not a subdivision application so street lighting was not required, as it was not considered a reasonable and relevant condition on that development at the time."
The spokeswoman did not comment on the appeal by residents for street lights but said that many budget requests were received and determining a budget was a lengthy and multi-faceted process.
"Councillors do have opportunity to speak with officers and put forward their projects, and this project was put forward by officers for consideration in the 2019-20 budget," she said.
"Ultimately, decisions on which projects receive funding in any given financial year are determined by council based on a number of factors, including the needs and safety of the Redlands Coast community and the operational expenditure target."
Cr Huges said that she had no opportunity ahead of the budget to tell officers about the priorities of residents in her division.
"I understand that the budget process should not become a divisional or political discussion but I also understand that as a councillor I have an enormous responsibility to represent my residents and their needs," she said.
"On this occasion my heart is sad for my St Anthony's Drive residents and their wider community, literally hundreds of people, young and old, will continue to wait for something as basic as a street light."
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