NSW government silent on $15m election promise for Bega Valley Shire's Cuttagee Bridge

Bega Valley Shire Council is finding it difficult to get details around an election promise of $15 million for renewal of Cuttagee Bridge and has been told it must wait until after the NSW budget in September.

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The bridge is in a bad state of repair and council wants to replace the single-lane timber structure with a concrete bridge. However there has been strong opposition from some in the community who want to see the timber bridge preserved and repaired.

The election promise of $15 million was made by member for Bega Dr Michael Holland and Jenny Aitchison MP, who was NSW shadow minister for regional transport and roads and is now Minister for Regional Transport and Roads.

The offer made on March 13, 2023 in front of elated residents who had been agitating for the preservation of the historic one-lane wooden bridge south of Bermagui, was for "repair and restoration of the Cuttagee Bridge in line with its heritage position".

But since then nothing has been heard of the promise and Cr Helen O'Neil asked council staff for an update.

Council staff pointed out they had not been consulted prior to the election promise of $15 million but said Dr Holland has subsequently indicated that Transport for NSW (TfNSW) would be liaising with council over these works.

READ ALSO: Community rally for consultation on Cuttagee Bridge

However, since the election the only contact from TfNSW had been a text message from a TfNSW manager on May 10, council said.

The TfNSW manager said they had been asked to provide a "status update and potential forecast for delivery of election committed funding should the new government formalise this funding".

"Cuttagee is complicated with many considerations, but if you were given $15m to 'restore' the bridge, what would be the delivery timeframe (eg. design/investigate in FY23/24, procure, deliver in FY 24/25/26 with rough forecast of this $15M)," the manager's text message read.

It prompted an immediate telephone call to TfNSW, unsurprisingly, given cost estimates to replace/renew the bridge in August 2022 were $20 million.

Council staff wanted to understand the criteria surrounding the allocation of funding, as the resolved position of council was to demolish and replace the current structure with a two-lane concrete bridge.

Staff told TfNSW no work had been conducted into the methodology or costs involved to fully restore the timber structure and to do so would require a funding source (not council) and considerable time.

No answers have been received, but staff did take a call from a senior TfNSW manager asking how much funding would be required to model any restoration works as they were preparing a briefing for the responsible minister who was looking at all project funding within the portfolio.

"On June 17 council's CEO Anthony McMahon wrote to Dr Holland's office following up on an opportunity to meet with the Minister. On 27 June 2023 a response was received advising a meeting had been scheduled with the Minister the following day (June 28) which was a council meeting day and meant that council could not attend. Council requested a new time to meet which has subsequently not occurred due to the Minister being on leave," council said.

Staff have heard nothing since despite trying to get written updates through the normal official channels and via conversations at other meetings and briefings.

"We understand the responsible minister has been on leave for some time and is expected to return sometime in September. Indications have been that we will hear nothing further until after the state budget, due September 19, has been announced," council staff said.

The news from the budget is not likely to be positive given NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has warned of "unfunded black holes" in the budget amounting to $7 billion.

"Finance Minister Courtney Houssos and I are poring over every dollar the NSW government spends," Mr Mookhey said.

Dr Holland met with councillors on August 9 and told them TfNSW was looking after the matter of the $15 million for Cuttagee Bridge.

Council staff said Dr Holland told the meeting "he couldn't expand on what the election promise may or may not contain".

"He also suggested that he was waiting to hear from Minister Aitcheson when she returns from leave and when the budgets are released," council said.

Council said it told government the longer the decision takes on the deteriorating bridge, the more it is likely to cost.

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