Message from the Mayor: 11 August 2023

Published on 11 August 2023

Hello, I'm John Connors, the Mayor of the Dungog Shire bringing you this week's Mayoral Message.

This week we're able to start with some good news about bridges rather than the bad news we've had in recent weeks. Yesterday (Thursday) the Brig O’Johnston Bridge opened again for traffic. We are forever grateful to TransportfNSW for the expeditious remediation of the bridge. Initially, the forecast from them was that it wouldn’t be completed until the end of August and now it’s open midway through August.

So that is a bit of really good news and on behalf of Council and the community, I thank Transport for NSW for their expedited remediation of the bridge. I'm sure it wasn't easy, but at least it's now done and we now have to push on to pursue the funding from the Federal Government for the replacement bridge.

But whilst the bridge is open, there's some change in the restrictions with respect to it. It now has a load limit of 22.5 tonnes and it has a width limit of 2.8 meters. So vehicles that exceed those limits in the weight limit of 22.5 tonnes or the width limit of 2.8 meters are prohibited from using the bridge. Hopefully, if transport operators adhere to those restrictions, then the bridge will survive a little longer until such time as funding can be secured again, and the new bridge commenced and ultimately completed.

Still on bridges, the Timber Bridge Replacement Program or the Fixing Country Bridges Program is well underway and is scheduled for completion by April 2024. And at that time, Council will have replaced 23 timber bridges within the shire under that program. And there are further four that were replaced prior to the funding under that program. That leaves only one bridge outstanding, which is the Suspension Bridge at Gresford, of which the replacement of it was funded in an announcement immediately prior to the State election.

Regrettably, the current Government is not honoring that promise at the moment. It, like other funding that's in jeopardy, is a joint Federal and State funded project and again, it seems to be caught up with the Federal Government's review and failure to honor prior obligations.

It's extremely disappointing, extremely annoying, that announcements are made and people no doubt cast their vote in anticipation of those projects being brought to fruition. And then when a new government comes to power, things change and they don't honor the obligations that have previously been made. Albeit that they haven't said prior to the election that they won't do so.

But in any event, we are pursuing the funding for that bridge with the NSW Minister for Regional Roads and Transport and also through the Federal Members and one would hope that we'll get the funding to enable that bridge to be ultimately replaced. And included in that funding was funding for Hooke St in Dungog, which as everybody knows, floods regularly and the funding that was announced would have enabled works to take place to mitigate to some extent the regularity of the flooding there. But again, those works can't take place until such time as the funding is confirmed again, if it is.

This coming Wednesday sees the monthly council meeting at 6pm which, as usual, will be broadcast on Facebook. And the community of course is welcome to come and attend in person in the Council Chambers or alternatively to view the live stream on Facebook.

At this month's meeting, the Council will have before it the draft Cultural Plan and the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan. They will be considered and assume adopt the recommendation that they go out on public exhibition.

On the assumption that both those documents do go on public exhibition after Council’s meeting on Wednesday, I urge the community to look at the documents, go to Council's website to review the documents, and make comments during the exhibition period which will be 28 days. Because if you don't make a comment then, then your comments can't be taken into account if they're made at a later date, but if they are made within the period that the document’s on exhibition then Council will consider all comments submissions that are made prior to the ultimate adoption of those plans.

So I urge the community at large to look and consider the Cultural Plan and the Open Space and Recreation Plan, they apply to the whole shire, and now's your chance to have your say on what you think of the draft plans that have been prepared.

The change of Minister for the Hunter has created some confusion. As I think I've reported previously Council met with Minister Crakanthorp very shortly prior to him being removed as the Minister for the Hunter. We met with Tim with respect to the critical issues that I raised earlier today. Unfortunately, that advocacy will fall on deaf ears now that he's been removed.

He's been temporarily replaced by the member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley. However, we are informed that that is an interim measure only, and that there will be a further appointment made by our Government in the not-too-distant future.

Council was intending to meet with the Acting Minister but in light of the current information that there may well be a permanent appointment in the near future, that will be delayed and we will hold our fire until such time as there is a permanent Minister for The Huner appointed and then we will seek a meeting again to pursue the funding for  Clarence Town Road, the replacement bridge at Clarence Town and the bridge at East Gresford, amongst other things.

And I think with those few words that brings me to a close this week. So until next week, good luck and goodbye.