The Bendigo Advertiser ran an online poll yesterday after a Kennington man raised concerns as topsoil was washed away from beside a new Back Creek bike and pedestrian path along Havlin Street West.

As of 3pm today 279 people had responded, 65 per cent of whom supported shared paths along creeks in Bendigo. 

More than 40 people commented on the story on Facebook – 31 of whom were strongly in favour of creek-side bike paths and many of whom wrote lengthy arguments in their favour.

Bendigo-based ecological sustainability author and business mentor Ian McBurney’s comment received more than 50 likes. 

“Cycling and walking infrastructure improves health, wellbeing, property prices, local trade, community safety, reduces pollution and safe access for children and the elderly,” Mr McBurney wrote. 

“The creek floods once a year. For the other 364 days it can be a transport corridor and a community asset. 

“The Addy should be helping contribute to an improved Bendigo rather than pandering to complainers.”

Carla Lang was one of several who wrote in to say she and her family used creek-side paths almost every day. 

“These pathways along the creek beds are fantastic,” Ms Lang wrote.

“Our family use them almost everyday for commuting to work/school and just for riding pleasure away from cars, trucks and heavy road traffic. 

“Of course if it pouring rain....... We don't ride. Simple really.”

While Jill Hennessy summed up another common argument – that some would have it in for cyclists no matter what they did.   

“Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't,” she wrote.

“I live on Havlin West and [that] path is used so much by so many families, dog walkers, bike riders, mothers/fathers with prams. Very popular.”

The poll is still live.