The recent announcement by the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, the Hon. Melinda Pavey MLC in Wingham, that the third round of ‘Fixing Country Roads Program’ will only have $100 million available to be spread across all councils throughout NSW, must spell  death to MidCoast’s plans for the design of a gold-plated $25 million bridge over the Cedar Party Creek.

During the ‘faux’ community consultation, MidCoast’s executive staff asserted to the community that not only would they be looking for the total funding from this round of the ‘Fixing Country Roads Program’ to construct the super bridge, but also to pay for a new Pool Complex.

We told MidCoast that they would not be able to secure such extravagant funding from the NSW Government. It was plainly fanciful to make such claims, and cruel to raise the community’s expectations that the magic government fairy would dump a $25 million bucket of money on Wingham, for a new super bridge and a new swimming pool complex. It is highly unlikely that the NSW Government will expend 25% of all the available money in this round on Wingham.

The simple fact is that we don’t need a $25 million dollar bridge solution for Cedar Party Creek. It’s time for MidCoast to drop the charade, and come up with a sensible bridge design, something that will be simple and unassuming, and in character with our heritage town.

Peter Epov

Wingham

(Mr Epov is Chairman of the Manning Alliance, and Organiser of the Save our Pool Campaign.)