Suggested letter to Council
Below is a suggested letter from the Bermagui Community Forum.
We can't stress enough how important it is letting Council know your views, as individual letters have a high impact.
BCF: We encourage petition respondents to still email Council with your views on the Cuttagee Bridge before the next meeting on Wednesday.
Please find a suggested email to Council. Please adapt the words to express your own primary concerns.
To:
rfitzpatrick@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
Dear Mayor Fitzpatrick and Bega Council Members,
I write with concern about your plans and recent vote in support of destroying our much loved heritage wooden bridge at Cuttagee and ask that you hear our community wishes, consult with us and reconsider these plans.
Cuttagee Bridge gives a unique, laid back, historic character to the area, and if replaced, the area will be taking one more step towards the homogenous, hurried character typical of other parts of the NSW coast, thereby destroying what makes our coast so unique to visitors.
The Cuttagee Bridge is heritage listed and considered iconic. It makes the Cuttagee lake/estuary area safer for swimmers, particularly children, as drivers have to slow down for the single lane bridge. The bridge, featured in books, movies and numerous tourism promotions, is an important part of the Bermagui region and is treasured by locals and visitors alike.
Council needs to recognise the economic value of all the wooden bridges along the tourist drive and the importance of maintaining them.
I believe a two lane concrete replacement bridge would allow drivers to travel much faster across the water body, endangering lake and beach users who park along the road.
I have concerns too for the wetland environment that would be impacted by the lengthy construction. As the Tathra-Bermagui Road along Cuttagee Beach is considered to be in the “almost certain” Erosion and Recession Hazards zone under Bega Valley Shire Council’s Coastal Processes and Hazards Definition Study, I would like to know more about if and how such a demolition and rebuilding plan has been done without a more detailed impact study.
I believe building a new bridge, in the long term, would be a waste of money due to predicted sea level rise, erosion and coastal inundation. It would also impact the local community and make traveling to town for many very difficult for an extended period of time.
Please reconsider the destruction of beautiful Cuttagee Bridge and engage with we in the community who are interested in working with you to find a solution that means we can preserve our heritage bridge while addressing safety concerns.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Phone