Bega Valley Shire Council returns fire over claims it 'backflipped' on Cuttagee Bridge consultation

Bega Valley Shire Council has hit back at claims it “backflipped” on consultation plans for the historic Cuttagee Bridge.

On 18 March the council issued a press release that said it had engaged engineering and consulting firm GHD to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive consultation process regarding the three design options agreed between Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and the council.

Save Cuttagee Bridge Group (SCBG) spokesperson Sheena Boughen claimed council had not wanted to undertake a full consultation process but the group had lobbied for it and succeeded.

This was based on a recording of the 29 January council meeting which included a question by Councillor Helen O’Neil. She asked if stakeholder consultation would be on only one design option or on all three.

The council’s director assets and operations, Ian Macfarlane, said consultation would only be about its preferred design option, not all three.

He said that was because “we have done extensive stakeholder consultation to get to where we are now” and “because of the timelines of the agreement that we have with Transport for NSW (TfNSW) we cannot afford to redo a full piece”.

“The targeting must be on what councillors decide to do and we will target the engagement on what has been determined by council.”

That detail was not included in the minutes of the meeting.

The minutes state the final draft of the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy had been prepared and were being reviewed by TfNSW.

“Following receipt of TfNSW’s feedback, the strategy will be finalised and circulated among council’s Leadership Executive Group.”

A council spokesperson added that “in accordance with the funding deed between the Transport for NSW as the funding body and council, staff could not make specific announcements on any engagement or consultation until all parties, including the office of Minister Aitchison, agreed upon the content of any media or engagement activities”.

Council said it acknowledged the SCBG’s concerns about the road becoming a major highway.

“There is no intention or desire for it to become an alternate to the Princes Highway, however as demonstrated during the Black Summer and Coolagolite bushfires, other vehicles will on occasion need to travel on this route and the infrastructure must be able to accommodate this for community benefit and safety,” it said.

“It is important to note the road will not meet B-double compliance or be designated as an official route, regardless of any bridge construction efforts due to existing challenges related to road construction, geometric limitations, and other physical and structural constraints.”

Council also refuted the SCBG’s claims it could not find a report that said the bridge needed to be replaced. Council said there were multiple references on its website about the bridge being well past its useful life and failing. It pointed to the Structural Assessment Report dated December 2021 by an independent specialist, Cardno, that was provided as part of the freedom of information request by the SCBG.

The report’s conclusion on page 26 states: “using the current substructure is not recommended as the substructure is also progressing towards failure. Hence replacement of the bridge is highly recommended”.

Council said SCBG’s request that the work that had been done on Wallaga Lake Bridge be replicated at Cuttagee Bridge was simply not possible. While both were timber bridges, they were very different designs, served a different purpose and were located differently.

“Wallaga Lake Bridge is included on the State Heritage list, in part due to its particular engineering significance. It is also far less exposed and was in better overall condition when restored than Cuttagee Bridge is now,” the council said.

“Ownership and maintenance of Wallaga Lake Bridge falls under state jurisdiction, with far greater access to funding than council. Despite substantial investment for its restoration, which is still ongoing, Wallaga Lake Bridge still does not meet modern standards and remains load limited and can be bypassed via the Bermagui-Cobargo Road.

“It is also important to note that Bega Valley Shire Council did not undertake any actions regarding Wallaga Lake Bridge. Such efforts and funding have been solely the responsibility of TfNSW.”