Message from the Mayor: 14 July 2023
Published on 14 July 2023
Hello, I'm John Collins, the Mayor of the Dungog Shire bringing you this week's Mayoral Message.
Perhaps the most significant event during the week was the incident that occurred at the Brig O’Johnston Bridge in Clarence Town on Wednesday afternoon. It's understood that an oversized vehicle had a collision with the side of the bridge, the Bailey trusses that hold up the bridge, and two of those trusses apparently have been damaged.
The bridge was immediately closed by Transport for NSW who control that bridge and detours were put in place. The bridge is still closed and further updates will be posted on Council's Facebook page, website and anywhere else that's possible as they become available.
It's not anticipated that there will be any further information until sometime during Friday following an inspection by engineers from Sydney on behalf of Transport for NSW and then a meeting of technical experts to determine the course of action.
There is of course a risk that the bridge will have to remain closed or at least load limited, severely load limited, until necessary works have been carried out. But once a course of action is advised by Transport for NSW, we'll pass that on as broadly as possible.
The Bridges has been the subject of recent and constant advocacy with the Federal and the relevant Federal and State ministers. In June, while in Canberra, I met with the Federal Minister Catherine King and also with the Minister for Local Government and Regional Development, Kristy McBain.
The funding for the bridge which was previously announced and by virtue of which all the planning works commenced and the design works, has been put on hold by the Federal Government and is part of the 90-day review that the Federal Government is carrying out into infrastructure programs.
The bridge is partially funded by Transport for NSW and they have been very supportive and are keen for work to progress as quickly as possible.
I met with the State Minister Jenny Aitchison about 10 days ago and she is very supportive of the problem and transport are looking, I think, for ways in which they might be able to overcome the problem should it be that the Federal Government renege on their previous funding arrangement. But again, we'll keep the community informed as information comes to hand.
We're continuing that lobbying to have the funding made immediately available and to that end, the General Manager and I are meeting with Senator Ross Cadell, a Member of the Opposition, but we're anxious to have as many fingers pressing buttons within the Federal system as possible to ensure that this funding does not slip by in the 90-day review.
Moving onto other matters, next week sees the opening of the Library in Dungog on Wednesday the 19th July. The community is invited to that opening by the Honorable George Souris but we do ask that you go on to Council's website and register in order that those organisors of the event are aware of the numbers that are going to attend because it is proposed to serve a light lunch at the conclusion of the official part of the proceedings.
Over recent years there has been a significant increase in Council staff being abused by members of the public and this abuse takes place at work sites throughout the Shire and it's not isolated to the Dungog Shire. The Shire’s of the Hunter, lead initially by Port Stephens Council, have banded together to run a Respect campaign. That is to try and encourage all members of the community throughout all local government areas to show respect to council workers and not to throw abuse at them as they might be delayed at work sites or delayed at road works in a way that they think is unnecessary.
It's not the fault of the workers. They're merely carrying out the tasks that have been assigned to them by the Council's and they deserve courtesy, safety and respect. And that's the basis of the campaign that's being rolled out by the Council's of the Hunter.
Rate notices will be received by rate payers throughout the Shire in coming days and weeks. And in the rate notice on this occasion there will be a newsletter from Council which will detail various activities. And we'll also set forth details of the expenditure of the funds that have been raised as a result of the special rate variation over the last four years.
So look forward to the bad news that is your rate notice and the good news that is contained within the newsletter.
And with that, I think that's it for me for this week. So until next week goodbye and good luck.