‘Your responsibility’: Council calls on firm to fix bridge

CEO says section of road too dangerous for drivers

Fraser Coast Regional Council Ken Diehm wants HQPlantations to fix a dangerous bridge.

THE council is calling on HQPlantations to fix a dangerous bridge on a road it says is a "key link" between Bauple and nearby coastal towns.

Ken Diehm says the council previously agreed to the company's request in 2017 to close off the unsafe Golden Gate Bridge on Tahiti Road with concrete barriers to stop drivers from using it.

Since then however, people had reportedly brought in tractors to remove the safety barriers.

"Council is seeking to prosecute these people who have recklessly put the lives of others in danger and have passed on photographic evidence to the police," Mr Diehm said.

"The safety barriers are there to keep people safe and removing them is selfish behaviour that puts at risk those who inadvertently use the bridge later.

"While I understand HQPlantations may have no operational requirements for the bridge, they do have a corporate responsibility to support the communities living alongside the forests they manage.

The bridge in the Tiaro State Forest was constructed by the Department of Forestry in the mid 1970s.

"While it is a private bridge on a forestry road owned by HQPlantations and is designed to service theHQPlantations forests, it is also used by many local residents to travel to Maryborough as well as to coastal communities like Poona," he said.

"Councillor Phil Truscott and I will be seeking a meeting with HQPlantations to obtain a commitment to rebuild the bridge and restore the access that the Bauple community have enjoyed for decades."

A spokeswoman for HQPlantations said Tahiti Road was part of the State gazetted road network.

"HQP supports the continued closure of this section of Tahiti Road to ensure the safety of all road users while longer term access requirements are considered in conjunction with Fraser Coast Council," she said.

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