Why Hawkesbury Council has reversed its stance on the new Windsor Bridge
THE decision by Hawkesbury Council to reverse its support for the controversial Windsor Bridge Replacement Project could further bog down the $65 million dollar project.
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THE decision by Hawkesbury Council to reverse its support for the controversial Windsor Bridge Replacement Project could further bog down the $65 million dollar project.
The NSW Government has in the past won a court case filed by the Community Action for Windsor Bridge (CAWB), whose members have been occupying Thompson Square since July 2013.
The change in the council’s stance comes after the recent elections when five independents took over the balance of power from the Liberals.
However, the Roads and Maritimes Services (RMS) said they hope to start construction of the new bridge next year and complete it by 2019.
The new mayor Mary Lyons-Buckett will now write to premier Mike Baird. requesting him to urgently put a stop to the project.
However, Hawkesbury state Liberal MP and NSW Finance Minister Dominic Perrottet has slammed the council for its opposition to the project, saying they should be putting their affairs into order first and solving problems for residents instead of wasting their time on state and federal issues.
First time councillor and long-term CAWB supporter John Ross moved the motion to oppose the new Windsor Bridge at a council meeting in council on October 25 and it was approved by a majority of 8-3. One councillor walked out when Clr Ross began to speak.
“The council is against the proposed bridge because we believe it is an ill advised piece of infrastructure by the government,’ Clr Ross told the Rouse Hill Times.
“There is a complex state of affairs ... but the government wants to replace the present bridge with an identical structure while we want a bypass which will save the historic Thompson Square.”
“It is very significant that the council is not supporting the project which is likely to cause the township of Windsor (its status) as a commercial centre.
“The project will destroy the heritage assets of the town.”
Mr Perrottet stressed the government will go ahead with their project.
“The NSW Government is committed to getting Hawkesbury moving with new infrastructure the community is crying out for,” Mr Perrottet told the Rouse Hill Times
“As we have seen, this is a council that is facing significant financial and economic challenges.
“Rather than being distracted by state and federal issues they should focus on fixing local roads, processing development applications, keeping downward pressure on council rates and collecting rubbish on time.’
A Roads and Maritime Services spokesman said that they have carrying out environmental and heritage investigation since April.
“Major work on the replacement of Windsor Bridge is expected to start next year and take about two years to complete,” the spokesman said.
“The design and alignment of the new Windsor Bridge will allow the usable space of Thompson Square to increase by more than 500 square metres, enabling the community and visitors to directly access river frontage.”
Clr Ross’s motion will also see the State Government asked to allocate all funding for the project to “the renovation of historic Windsor Bridge for light and local traffic and the construction of an additional river crossing near Windsor which can appropriately meet current and future traffic needs of the wider community while allowing preservation and enhancement of the natural and heritage landmarks of Windsor.”
Another new councillor Peter Reynolds, also a founding member of CAWB, said they wanted to “work collaboratively with all levels of government to build a genuine, positive and long-term transport solution”.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Clr Reynolds said.
“The government needs to understand, Option One (of the Windsor Bridge proposals) was a mistake. We want to work with them to fix it.”
Quick facts
■ The new bridge will be built 35m downstream from the existing one
■ It will be a two-lane bridge which can be widened to three-lanes in the future
■ When the new bridge is open to traffic, the existing bridge would be removed
■ The original Windsor Bridge was built with a timber deck on cast iron piers in 1875
■ CAWB, Labor and the Greens are against the plans, saying it will destroy the heritage value of Thompson Square
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