A Sydney councillor has accused NBN Co of making a poor effort to repair footpaths, including some that are heritage-listed, after ripping them up to install internet cables.

Independent Inner West councillor Pauline Lockie said utility providers generally made a concerted effort to quickly repair and restore any damage caused or commission the local council to do it for them.

"Unfortunately what we're finding with the NBN is that they're not willing to do either of those things," Cr Lockie told ABC Radio Sydney.

"We can generally tell at council where the NBN happens to be operating at any given time because we'll get a spike in complaints from that area."

The concrete pours on the old paths have upset local residents. ( ABC Sydney: Zoe Ferguson )

NBN Co, the body tasked with the National Broadband Network rollout, defended its record, explaining, that for efficiency, contractors would often do a simple "temporary restoration" while nearby works were ongoing.

"But ultimately [our contractors' role is to make sure] that it's permanently restored to the same condition that it was before," said Amber Dornbusch, the head of NBN Local for NSW.

Heritage-listed paths spoiled

Cr Lockie's said her priority was to see heritage-listed footpaths around Juliett Street in Marrickville repaired.

"These particular footpaths in Marrickville were laid during the Depression era ... by hand in a very labour-intensive way and with quite an intricate pattern," she said.

Footpaths on Juliett Street in Marrickville were laid by hand in the 1930s. ( ABC Sydney: Zoe Ferguson )

"They're really lovely to look at, they add a lot to the community and cultural heritage of the area, and people are really, really upset to see them left in this state.

"The NBN ... says they will essentially replace [the footpaths] like-for-like when the works are done, but we are not finding that is happening."

Ms Dornbusch said some areas of Sydney with older infrastructure, like Marrickville in the inner west, took longer to restore.

"But we'll definitely look into [the Marrickville situation] to make sure that we get that permanent restoration happening as soon as possible," she said.