Message from the Mayor: 4 August 2023

Published on 04 August 2023

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

At last there is some better news with respect to the Brig O’ Johnston Bridge at Clarence Town. Transport for NSW has now advised that work has commenced on the rectification of the damage and they anticipate that that work will be completed by the end of August, weather permitting.

In the meantime, they've also now advised that pedestrian traffic will be allowed across the bridge for two periods each day, morning and afternoon, to facilitate in particular children getting across to go to school. The two times will coincide with a shuttle bus, which Transport has also organised to transport the children to and from the Clarence Town Public School.

So that's, I wouldn't say good news, but better news with respect to the bridge. There's also an approach now being made to Transport for NSW to enable the Rural Fire Service to gain pedestrian access across the bridge. The RFS has positioned an appliance on the other side of the river and would need pedestrian access to get to that appliance should there be a need and an approach is now being made to Transport for that to occur.

So there's some progress, but the future is not so bright until such time as the new bridge is constructed. There'll be an even greater load limit on the bridge than there has been and the width limitation. So there'll be impacts on transports use of the rectified bridge, but at least it will be open for normal commuter traffic once the repairs are carried out.

The problems that have been highlighted by the damage to the Brig O’Johnston Bridge show the gross inadequacy of the funding system for local government. When local government is dependent upon government grants that's bad enough, but when those government grants are dependent upon there not being a change of government that exacerbates the problem.

I have a letter dated December 2020, from the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack and he says, “I'm pleased to advise that I've approved both of these projects” (the two projects being the Clarence Town Bridge and the Clarence Town Rd) He then says “this will facilitate the payment of Australian government funding for these projects”.

The matter then proceeded. We appointed a project manager and we proceeded to do those things necessary to facilitate the building of the new bridge. And we then have a change of government and the new government says, No, we're not necessarily going to honor that finance. We're going to hold a review and after we've held the review we will then decide whether we will continue the funding even though you've commenced work to construct the bridge.

We're now being told we won't have an answer as to whether the funding is going to continue until at least September. I think that is an appalling example of the inadequacy and incompetence of the funding of local government.

We see another example with the funding announced by the NSW then Minister for Regional Roads and Infrastructure immediately prior to the state election. The funding facilitated the replacement of the Suspension Bridge at Gresford and the upgrade of various river crossings throughout the Shire, including Hooke Street within Dungog.

The funding deed for that announcement did not turn up, has not turned up. Again, it's contingent upon some federal funding and it's in limbo.

It makes it quite impossible. For local government to plan to deliver necessary infrastructure for the benefit of the community. And the politicians get elected or get reelected on the basis of these promises which then don't materialise. It has to change or else the delivery of necessary services will continue to suffer well into the future.

With that, let's move to things a little happier. Today in Dungog at the Council Chambers there's a Citizenship Ceremony where there will be a resident of the Shire to become an Australian citizen. These ceremonies are held usually a couple of times a year on an as-needed basis and today is one of those occasions, so it's a happy occasion for the lady who's about to become an Australian citizen.

This week is Local Government Week. And as part of Local Government Week it's also National Tree Day earlier in the week. And to celebrate both events Council is giving away 300 native tube stock. These trees are available for collection at Clarence Town Post Office, the Administration Centre building in Dungog and the Riverdene Nursery at Gresford. They are available for collection until stocks run out. So if you'd like to get a native tube stock, get to one of those venues as soon as possible.

The roads and bridge construction continues and there are five bridges that the construction of the bridge has recently been completed. And there are another five that are under construction and are about to commence. So that's another 10 bridges that can be ticked off very shortly.

Within those bridge constructions there's naturally inconvenience, and one of those roads that are inconveniencing members of the community is Summerhill Road which remains closed until such time as Jordans Bridge is completed.

The roadworks continue in Duke Street in Clarence Town and Sugarloaf Road and Clarence Town Road on the approach to Dungog and those works will continue in coming weeks.

I understand that work will commence in about the last week of the month on Durham Road in East Gresford and I'm sure that will bring much delight to those that use that road on a regular basis.

With those comments, that wraps it up for this week. So until next week good luck and goodbye.