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LOCAL residents are fuming over Bellingen Shire Council’s (BSC) decision to reduce the load limit on Newry Island Bridge at Urunga, from 10 to 3 tonnes.
Their concerns and anger were apparent when residents met on Sunday to discuss issues ranging from day-to-day inconveniences to long-term uncertainties.
Vanessa Hogan highlighted the multiple ways in which they would all be affected by the reduced bridge weight limit.
“As residents we now have to apply for special exemptions just to do everyday things like get deliveries such as, large appliances, furniture, firewood, landscaping or building supplies,” Ms Hogan told the Courier-Sun.
“If you own a caravan or boat - is it acceptable to allow seven days to process an exemption permit? I mean, just to go fishing in your boat on a Sunday morning?
“And how will this affect land value or the ability to rent out a property?” Ms Hogan asked.
The bridge weight adjustment means trucks, waste management and many other service providers will be unable to cross the bridge without a permit from council, although provisions have been made to continue emergency vehicular access.
Steven Taylor, operation manager at BSC, acknowledges the inconvenience but insists council has a duty of care and must act in the most responsible manner.
“Newry Island Bridge is an ageing structure and over many years various repairs have been carried out, including the provision of grouted pile jackets to address the deteriorating state of the concrete piers and the provision of a bridge ply deck overlay,” he said.
“Late in 2012 a girder on the western most span of the bridge failed and a 10 tonne load limit was imposed. Council replaced the failed girder however a full assessment of the bridge identified a number of structural components that required replacement before the load limit could be lifted.
“Weekly monitoring of the bridge structure has revealed further deterioration and in order to prolong its longevity and reduce the risk of future failure, it is necessary to further reduce the load limit to three tonne.”
Mr Taylor said council sympathised with the concern of island residents – and a week’s grace had been granted on the load limit change.
“I am aware of the impact and inconvenience this has to the residents and we’ve tried to give the maximum time possible,” he said.
Mr Taylor said council “is working closely with all stakeholders to minimise disruption and ensure the continuation of essential services to residents of the island with alternative arrangements being made with Handybin for the weekly waste collection as well as provision of emergency services.”
But residents are far from appeased.
Ms Hogan: “What are the results from the structural engineers so we know what we're dealing with? What is the timeframe of the repairs or the replacement of the bridge? Where is the money that has been allocated in the previous budgets? What options are out there ie what have other communities had built that may compare with our situation?”
Council general manager Liz Jeremy said a fix for Newry Island Bridge was a major reason why BSC has gone for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) over and above the usual pegged figure.
“The repair/replacement has been incorporated into the Works Program associated with the proposed SRV and prioritised for the 2014/15 financial year (subject to approval of the application by IPART),” she said.
“In the event that the application is not approved, council will need to reconsider its Works Program for 2014/15 in order to accommodate repairs to this bridge.”
Most of the residents at the public meeting indicated they planned to complete a BSC impact statement and outline how the reduction of the bridge load limit will affect them, their families and their businesses.
“Residents want BSC to acknowledge that property owners pay their rates to council and therefore expect that services and infrastructure should be maintained to an acceptable and safe level on Newry Island, as it does in other areas of the Bellingen Shire,” Ms Hogan said.
A report on repair/replacement options will be considered by council at its meeting on Wednesday, April 23.