Community Meeting Report

From Bermagui Community Forum

A very productive community meeting was held on Wednesday 2 June in Bermagui. The meeting was called to update the community and explore new ways forward for the Cuttagee Bridge.

The meeting was well attended with 96 community members present along with BVSC Mayor, 3 other Councillors and 2 Council senior executives. Sheena Boughen facilitated the meeting and several community members presented their views. Various news organisations were in attendance and the meeting was live streamed on Facebook.

The aim of the meeting was to seek an intelligent, informed and considered outcome following a concerted community campaign to retain the bridge including presentations and letters to Council, a petition, postcards, dedicated Facebook site, an over 200 person rally at the Bridge and news coverage.

It was stressed that Bermagui does things differently and that we value beauty, quality and a slow life. A soulless 2 lane concrete bridge is not what we are about.

Following an address by the Council providing the background to the decision to demolish the bridge it was stated that now that the funding originally offered has been withdrawn, Council is keen to consult with the community to achieve a mutually agreed outcome.

Community members Honor Northam, Mark Darby, Narelle Myers, Bruce Leaver and Stephen Mills addressed the meeting along with David Maggiolo from Timber Restoration Systems who outlined how similar bridges in similar condition were restored and rejuvenated using advanced timber bridge engineering procedures and technology. David Maggiolo’s presentation opened a real alternative to replacing the Bridge, and a timber restoration approach appears to be much cheaper than a new concrete bridge. There is the opportunity to work with Council towards a more collaborative solution.

The meeting passed 3 important motions unanimously:The meeting calls on the Council to commit to supporting the restoration and rejuvenation of the timber Cuttagee Bridge - including rescinding the demolition order.
The meeting calls on the State Government to expand the materials criteria for public works/bridges to include timber and other materials - especially for heritage timber structures.
The meeting calls on Council to seek financial options to fund the restoration of the timber Cuttagee Bridge.
For more details of the meeting please refer to the Cuttagee Bridge Public Meeting notes.

The Forum will keep the community informed of further developments as they emerge.

And please get your friends to sign up to our newsletter to know what’s going on at our signup page and get them to sign the change.org petition