Residents of Tooleybuc are celebrating after it was announced on Tuesday that controversial maintenance works on the Tooleybuc Bridge that were scheduled to start on May 23 will not be proceeding as planned
NSW Minister for Transport Sam Farraway quietly visited the town on Tuesday, telling The Guardian that after talking face to face with Tooleybuc residents this week, Transport for NSW will be exploring other options to limit the disruption as much as possible for bridge maintenance.
“It’s been good to face the community, to look them in the eye and for them to look me in the eye and to talk pretty freely about the level of disruption that the original proposal had caused, and different ideas from the community about how we could conduct the maintenance of that bridge differently and what level of disruption they could live with or they could work around,” Mr Farraway said.
“We will take the consultation, the feedback that we have heard , try and develop a new plan that is reflective of that feedback, causes the least amount of disruption, and a plan that we can take the community on that journey with us and hopefully support that community in the process of the maintenance being done.”
Tooleybuc hotelier Kieran Hogan, who has been passionately advocating for the bridge, was overjoyed when he heard the news.
“Sam Farraway has heard the voices, he has seen the traffic go over the bridge, and he has come to the party in that we are a town that is going to be very hard to shut down for six weeks,” Mr Hogan said.
Mr Farraway said one of the options that will be explored is the possibility of night works to complete the maintenance, which was suggested by many locals he spoke to.
Member for Farrer Sussan Ley also visited Tooleybuc on Tuesday to listen to concerned locals about the bridge before the announcement was made.
“This was my first chance be in Tooleybuc since the election was called, so a big thank you to everyone who dropped by for a chat on a number of local issues.”
The original plan, developed with no community consultation, was to shut the Tooleybuc Bridge for six weeks, causing massive disruptions to Tooleybuc residents.
Independent MP Helen Dalton has been involved with the Tooleybuc Bridge debacle from the beginning, attending two emergency meetings in the town to help residents come up with a game plan.
“This was a great win for people power,” Ms Dalton said.
“Two weeks ago, the NSW Government told me they would definitely close the bridge and nothing could be changed, but after two well-attended emergency meetings and a heap of emails and phone calls directed at Government Ministers and MPs, they quickly change their tune,”
“Our fight continues, though. The 98-year-old bridge needs replacing with a new one, or the bridge will have to be closed at some stage in the future.”
In regards to a new bridge for Tooleybuc, Mr Farraway said that he has been speaking with Member for Mallee Anne Webster and Member for Farrer Sussan Ley about the possibility of working with the Commonwealth to see what they can do.
“I can’t promise a new bridge, I’m not in a position to do that today, but in the conversations I’ve had with the neighbouring federal members, they are keen to have that conversation with NSW, and I’m keen to have that conversation with them,” Mr Farrway said.
“I stood there for a few hours today at the bridge talking to locals and it is clearly evident that the region is going well with the horticulture and agriculture activity… it was an eye-opener for me and I’m certainly happy to have another look at it.”
