The bridge to nowhere

Dear Editor,

I commend Mayor Dougall and councillors for the common sense decision to cancel the contract for the Goulburn River Bridge in Seymour.

Yes, it cost $858,484 money well spent, [but] that leaves a lot of change out of the $5.4 million to spend on better projects across the shire.

How about we replace Premier Allan with Mayor Dougall and councillors, and they can cancel another contract, commonly known as the tunnels to nowhere?

Des Callaghan

Broadford

Good news for Goulburn bridge

Dear Editor,

I am positive that I speak on behalf of most residents of Mitchell Shire by congratulating and thanking Mitchell Shire Council for reversing the decision to ‘restore’ the decrepit remains of the Goulburn River Bridge in Seymour.

Although Mitchell Shire has to pay a significant penalty to break that contract, that sum is small compared to the total amount that would have burdened the ratepayers, and reduced services, for years to come.

In my view, this sorry saga can be attributed to a legacy vanity project of the previous council.

If this project had continued, the bridge would not have been ‘restored’; instead, a new version of it, bearing very little resemblance to previous incarnations of it, would have been built on the bridge’s remains. In these times, with so many people struggling, spending taxpayers’ hard-earned money on a niche, ‘feel-good’ project would have been irresponsible.

Accolades are owed to all those residents of Mitchell Shire who publicly opposed the Goulburn River Bridge via such media as the pages of this and other publications.

I also greatly respect those four members of the previous council who had the integrity and courage to consistently argue and vote against this folly: Councillors Chisholm, Cornish, Eldridge, and Lowe.

I honestly believe that they reflected the views of the majority of residents of our shire.

I believe that there is a lesson from this sad fiasco for the current and future Mitchell Shire Councils, no matter the issue: ‘Read the room’.

David Waye

$850K mistake

Dear Editor,

I would like to congratulate the current councillors of Mitchell Shire for their extremely sensible decision to de-fund the old Goulburn River Bridge project.

The commitment of approximately $7 million dollars of ratepayers money (including interest on the borrowings), with the hugely extensive whole of life maintenance costs, is definitely the right decision. This project could not be justified financially, historically, or through the use of common sense.

However, this decision has come at an extremely high cost to ratepayers. It has cost us approximately $850,000 to escape this bridge contract, at a time when basic infrastructure such as roads, drainage, footpaths, etc., are in dire need of financial support, let alone the gross under funding of community volunteers.

In addition, the astronomical population growth of this shire requires infrastructure and jobs on a massive scale. This money could have been directed to the Hilldene employment precinct, where actual jobs could be created for Seymour. However, employment is required right across this shire.

I am definitely no fan of bureaucracy or additional red tape, but measures need to be put in place to prevent future acts equating to financial irresponsibility.

Grant applications lodged by council to governments require what equates to a business case or justification for the money.

This project had nothing that could even vaguely be called a business case; no government entity was even remotely interested in supplying substantial funding for the bridge, and lessons should be learnt. Hopefully the new council will take this point on board.

Once again councillors, congratulations on making a hard decision and all the best for the future.

Bill Chisholm

Past councillor

An open letter to Jaclyn Symes

Dear Editor,

Jaclyn, you might or might not be aware of the local concern surrounding the Hamilton Street bridge lifting to accommodate the Inland Rail project.

The concern relates to the steep decent into the intersection with High Street and the increased potential for a major accident.

There have already been six accidents at this intersection since July. A fatality is surely a matter of time.

Should we wait until there’s two and we qualify for blackspot funding? Surely prevention is better than cure.

The whole area between Ferguson Street and High Street feels very unsafe to move through by any means other than car. And I’m 45. What about local kids such as my eight- and four-year-olds?

Obviously, the rail project is going ahead and it’s being managed by a federal authority outside your jurisdiction (ARTC).

The problem is that the ARTC doesn’t consider that local urban planning is its problem. I presume that the delegating legislation supports this.

Now is the perfect chance to demonstrate that different arms of government can talk and coordinate their actions to integrate national infrastructure with valid local concerns.

As both the state treasurer and local resident, you’re the perfect person to ‘bridge’ the relevant authorities.

For better or worse, decisions made now will be baked in for a very long time, and it’ll be even longer until there’s a better chance to develop a holistic plan that turns this area into one that allows safe multi-modal transport for a growing local population.

Michael Bourke

Broadford

$45m is just not enough

Dear Editor,

The 5.6km section of the Old Sydney Road from the Mitchell southern boundary is gravel, so the works are actually to reconstruct and seal the road.

For this length of road, the $45 million will perhaps covers the design and lollipop/road safety people, as it will definitely not cover the actual earthmoving and tar sealing construction costs.

Jamie Mackenzie

Time to jump ship

Dear Editor,

With power prices rising, and Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen’s government subsidised hydro schemes sinking faster than the Titanic, and his wind turbines floating off into the sunset while Bowen and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are sitting on the Titanic telling us it is unsinkable, while it is sinking, it’s time to jump ship.

Instead of being reliant on China for our unreliable renewables, it’s time to join the good ship nuclear, which will, under Dutton, be owned by us.

Sandra Morris

Seymour