UPDATE: Thursday, June 29, 9am
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MidCoast Council’s preferred option for the Cedar Party Creek Bridge replacement was endorsed by administrator John Turner at the MidCoast Council ordinary meeting held yesterday at Gloucester.
Wednesday June 28, 4am
The future replacement of Cedar Party Creek Bridge is on the agenda for today’s MidCoast Council ordinary meeting.
After MidCoast Council’s community consultation, Rhett Pattison, MidCoast Council’s acting general manager projects and engineering, is tabling a report that outlines community feedback and asking that the preferred option, a bridge adjacent to the old Cedar Party Creek Bridge with the road going through the exiting swimming complex, be adopted.
The report recommends keeping the existing bridge as a pedestrian/cycle bridge to Chrissy Gollan Park, to allow for community concerns about pedestrian safety and the heritage of the current structure.
Council are seeking full funding for the bridge construction and any grant sought will include the full cost of a new swimming pool complex, consisting of a 50 metre competition pool, a children’s aquatic play area and amenities.
The report states that “construction of the new bridge is contingent upon constructing the new pool before removing the old pool.”
With the Wingham Bowling Club’s approval, council have had the club’s land valued and are looking at purchasing the Bowling Club with a view to it being a possible site of the new swimming complex..
The report recognises the community’s distrust of council and their ability to deliver what is is proposing. Once the site for the new swimming complex is secured, council will once again consult with the community.
Data collected in the community consultation survey show that 57 per cent of respondents favoured the preferred option, with 28 per cent choosing the existing alignment, and 15 per cent saying they didn’t like either or could not decide.
If funding is unable to be gained for the replacement, MidCoast Council’s only alternative would be to fund a concrete bridge which would not be high enough to be flood free, due to funding constraints. The bridge is currently three metres under the one in 100 year level.
If the preferred option is endorsed, a detailed design process would take place, with construction beginning in 2019 at the earliest.