Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland addressed a gathering at Cuttagee Bridge on 31 March. Photo: Supplied.
Bega Valley Shire Council is considering an offer by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to take leadership of the stalled Cuttagee Bridge project, while revisiting the design and funding arrangements.
It follows sustained community pressure about council’s approach to the project.
In March 2023 then Shadow Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison made an election commitment of $15 million towards the repair and restoration of the single-lane timber bridge in line with its heritage values.
On 1 February 2024 Bega Valley Shire Council issued a press release about its acceptance of the $15 million funding.
“We all like the appeal of a single-lane timber bridge, but the fact remains that a two-lane concrete structure will outlast a timber bridge by several decades …” it said.
Minister Aitchison met council on 15 February 2024. The following day council issued another press release. It said council had reached an agreement to consult with the community on three design choices, including a two-lane concrete structure, a two-lane concrete and timber hybrid option and a single-lane hybrid design.
In November 2025 council voted for a two-lane concrete structure with an estimated cost of $29.1 million.
That was despite 52 per cent of respondents to a survey about the three options selecting the single-lane option and more than 60 per cent indicating that the concrete option did not reflect the local area’s character.
Just 28 per cent of respondents to the September survey chose the concrete option and 20 per cent chose the two-lane hybrid design.
A TfNSW report says Cuttagee Bridge is in poor condition. Photo: David Rogers Photography.
There has been little progress since, despite council spending close to $3 million of the $15 million of state government funding.
That led Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland to visit the bridge on 31 March. He told the gathering that council had until the end of April to get its act together and present its proposal to move the project forward.
The problem is council cannot move forward without more funding. The Federal Government has refused council’s requests for additional funding for the project and the NSW Government has also said no.
That left council with two options. It could either reprogram and reprioritise its capital works program or increase rates.
In June 2023 councillors passed a motion for a permanent special rate variation (SRV) of 24 per cent inclusive of the 4.1 per cent rate peg for the financial year that ended 30 June 2024 and 19.6 per cent inclusive of an assumed 2.5 per cent rate peg for the financial year that ended 30 June 2025.
Shortly after Dr Holland gave council the ultimatum on 31 March, TfNSW issued its assessment of the bridge’s condition. TfNSW conducted a visual inspection of the bridge on 28-29 January. Both council and the community wanted to see the assessment. The report was released on 16 April.
The report said the bridge was in poor condition. It stressed that no structural assessment had been carried out as part of this visual assessment and condition report.
On 21 April, members of the Restoration of Cuttagee Bridge Group and three heritage structural engineers met online with TfNSW and a member of Ms Aitchison’s staff.
Phil Coates, a member of the group, said TfNSW had listened to the engineers’ proposal to repair and strengthen the bridge which would extend its life by up to 40 years. “The door is open but they have made no commitments,” he said.
They also asked for an independent, thorough structural assessment so the engineers could refine their proposal.
In a statement, Ms Aitchison’s office said there were ongoing community concerns about the design, particularly from a heritage perspective.
It said TfNSW was open to revising the funding arrangement to ensure the project was fully funded and deliverable.
It said the grant agreement would be rewritten to reflect the revised approach with clearer milestones and performance requirements.
“This responds to Dr Holland’s calls for the NSW Government to step in, provide a clear pathway to reset the project and deliver it with greater certainty while maintaining council ownership,” the statement said.
Alec Marr, another member of the Restoration of Cuttagee Bridge Group, said it was a catastrophic move.
“It is now clear that the minister is facilitating the destruction of Cuttagee Bridge and its replacement with a two-lane concrete bridge,” Mr Marr said.
In a statement, council’s infrastructure director Andrew Latta said council was progressing the Cuttagee Bridge project as per the current funding deed and resolution of council to build a two-lane concrete structure with attached shared pathway and handrails.
He said council staff recently met with TfNSW to discuss progress on Cuttagee Bridge, the condition report and funding shortfall.
Mr Latta said council had not received any offers or a revised funding agreement from TfNSW.
