Narrandera Landcare has blasted Narrandera Shire Council for axing the lattice railway bridge project which attracted widespread community support.

The proposal to convert the State-listed heritage bridge to a pedestrian bridge for cyclists and walkers, as part of the hike and bike network, was the subject of a Council Development Application (DA) presented to the October meeting.

The Council worked with Narrandera Landcare over six years to develop the project and then, in a surprise about turn, rejected the DA at the meeting on a 5-2 majority vote.

Narrandera Landcare Chairman Peter Beal said that Landcare was dismayed, disappointed in the extreme, disgusted and appalled by the decision to reject its own DA at such a critical point in the development of the project was “an understatement.”

He said the project was fully funded to the tune of $850,000 and was supported by Council in its Playground on the Murrumbidgee application for infrastructure projects supporting rural communities.

Mr Beal said rejecting the project before Council was able to have the application assessed by Heritage NSW was clearly premature and in its Playground on the the Murrumbidgee funding submission, Mr Beal said.

He said the bridge modification was also envisaged to celebrate Narrandera’s significant railway history and also for non-indigenous communities to better appreciate the importance and value of rivers and Aboriginal cultural heritage in our town.

Council worked closely with the Narrandera elders group to understand their concerns and modified concept plans accordingly.

“In essence Council has given up too easily, “ Mr Beal said.
“Feedback on the DA, while open for public consultation on Council’s website and Facebook page, was very positive and only two objections against the project were received in the form of submissions.”

“These submissions were focussed on self-interests rather than on planning issues or on community concerns.”

Narrandera Council staff prepared a comprehensive DA containing all the necessary documents for assessment including a heritage advisor’s assessment, extensive engineering design, quantity surveying and feasibility studies along with a review of environmental factors.

Council’s own Deputy General Manager Infrastructure Shane Wilson, who has extensive skills and experience in NSW Government environmental planning, undertook the assessment process and recommended the report receive deferred approval with conditions.”

Mr Beal said Council by its resolve had dismissed Mr Wilson’s and his staff’s extensive work and recommendations.

He said while Narrandera Landcare recognised the project may not gain unanimous support he was horrified to see three councillors, Mayor Cr Kschenka and Crs Payne and Lewis unexpectantly vote the project down after they had seen the project to be an exciting one when receiving several presentations on the project progress and development in the past.

“It would seem abundantly clear that councillors, excluding Cr Bryon and Clarke, allowed ill-informed perceived complexities, other priorities and personal egos to cloud their vision for the future development of our great town,’ Mr Beal said.

“Council was presented with the DA at its October 2021 meeting and its prime role was to assess if Council had adhered to the required assessment process.

It was both irrelevant and inappropriate to bring in extraneous and spurious issues which are yet to be determined from on-going necessary further negotiations that are dependent on the Heritage Council and rail authority agency resolutions, for example precisely what the level of maintenance would be required and its cost.

In what appeared to be a planned execution of the project, Cr Fahey had a prepared motion on which he recommended Council axe the project.

This allowed others to all too easily support the rejection,”Mr Beal said.

He said councillors speaking against the project raised “very poor, thoughtless and farcical excuses “ for their belief that the project should not continue, such as

‘Visitors can view drone footage of the bridge at the Visitor Information Centre; the bridge is difficult to get to; you can walk down there and have a look; let’s spend the money allocated to this project on other projects for better outcomes’.

These comments are insulting and display a clear lack of understanding about what visitation and appreciation of historic infrastructure is all about.”

Mr Beal said Narrandera Landcare wished to thank Council staff who had invested their time and expertise in working the project up close to implementation “only to be cut short by leaders thinking they have a mandate to do what they think and ignore the broader community’s interests”.

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 4 November 2021.