Before the end of the year is out, the old Macksville Bridge will be getting the star treatment.
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To shed some light on the development: On June 5, Council heard the word that it had been successful in a $100,000 grant application under the Heritage Near Me Program from the Office of Environment and Heritage.
Last Thursday council voted to match the grant money with $132,917 from Council’s working funds for Macksville improvement projects.
The $230,000-odd budget is specifically reserved for the installation of LED lighting along the length of the old steel expanse, entrance “statements”, heritage signage and information panels.
“Since its opening in 1931, the Macksville Bridge has been a landmark urban feature within the Nambucca Valley, and for any person travelling up or down the east coast of NSW,” Council said.
“An objective of this project is to create an even more memorable landmark through embellishments to the bridge that highlight its structural form and character and provide historic relevance to the feature.”
Bridge over troubled water?
Before Council resolved to accept and match the grant funding, there were a few grievances that needed to be aired.
Cr David Jones raised concerns from constituents about the number of projects and amount of “post-bypass” funding allocated to Macksville when “the bypass has also affected Nambucca Heads, in particular the Plaza”.
“I’ve had some comment from the Nambucca Heads and Valla Chamber of Commerce who feel aggrieved,” he said.
Cr Rhonda Hoban said, by way of explanation, that as the bypass loomed and the call went out for Expressions of Interest, only two were received from Nambucca Heads: the water tower mural and the rainbow crossing.
“If Nambucca or other towns put in the same amount of time and effort that Macksville people and businesses have put into ideas and proposals, then I would hope this Council would financially support those ideas,” she said.
“It’s up to the people of Nambucca Heads to put their thinking caps on.”
Cr Janine Reed expressed her frustration at the predictable sniping which surfaces every time something positive for Macksville is announced.
The parochialism of this Shire is so sad and so unproductive. There’s no gate saying ‘keep out of Macksville’. I’d like to think the bridge will be seen as an improvement and a point of pride for the whole Shire.
- Cr Janine Reed
And Cr Ainsworth added that the money for the project had come out of the Office of Environment and Heritage.
“This is a heritage issue, not a bypass isssue,” he said.
“Regardless, I think there a few issues at play here: the bypass was never described by the State Government as a bypass of Nambucca. Their focus and grant money has always been for the bypass of Macksville.”
Cr Hoban did concede, however, that she could see the point Cr Jones was making.
“Our matched funding is coming out of the general council budget which could be spent anywhere,” she said.
Painted into a corner?
Cr John Ainsworth queried whether RMS had committed to painting the bridge again before the responsibility for its upkeep is officially handed back over to Council as part of the bypass negotiations.
Teresa Boorer advised the chamber that “Grant Nelson has it in writing that RMS will be painting the bridge”.
Cr Anne Smyth also questioned whether money from the Environment Levy, which had been included in the Macksville Revitalisation Project working funds, would be siphoned towards this project.
“I am very concerned that money from the Environment Levy could be used to fund this coal-powered project,” she said.
Noone was able to ascertain whether this would be the case and Cr Smyth made a motion to defer the issue until that information was known.
The deferral was lost due to apprehensions regarding the time limit placed on the grant funding and Cr Smyth made sure to put her objection to the resolution on the record.