The State Government is set to step in to have a greater say on the long awaited construction of a replacement for Cuttagee Bridge on the Tathra Bermagui Road.
A new report on the condition of the much-loved existing historic structure assessed it as being in poor to very-poor condition.
The report recommended replacing the bridge because of the extent and severity of deterioration and followed a detailed inspection by expert engineers over several days in late January this year.
The council voted in November last year to build a replacement two lane concrete bridge but only have half of the $30 million funding needed to move forward with the project.
We can now reveal that in the past 24 hours…Transport for NSW has offered Bega Valley Shire Council a new deal.
The department is prepared to not only revisit the design agreed to by council last November to address community concerns but to re-assess the its current $15-million funding promise, half of the estimated cost of the project, to ensure the new bridge is not delayed any further.
There is also an offer on the table to provide an experienced Project Manager from the department embedded inside the council to lead the work.
But any new deal is contingent on the council signing a new agreement to reflect the revised approach, with clearer milestones and performance measures.
A push to speed up the project follows a recent social media post by local State MP for Bega Michael Holland who told the council to get on with the job, which attracted venomous reply from the Deputy Mayor Mitchell Naden, who labelled Dr Holland “a complete moron.”
It’s unclear at this stage exactly how long the council has been given to respond.
We are seeking a response from the council.
