Mayor Ben Shields says he can’t yet provide an estimate of the cost of building a ring road with a flood-proof river crossing around the city or identify how much the mooted project might impact the coffers of Dubbo Regional Council.
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The council is currently sending survey forms to ratepayers with rate notices. Ratepayers are being asked whether they support the River Street option for the new Dubbo bridge, whether they support a ring road including a flood-proof river crossing, and what the “highest priority” should be for a third bridge crossing.
Options are a “high-level crossing as for during floods, reducing congestion on existing crossings, or to enable a flood-proof bypass for traffic travelling on the Newell Highway”.
The mayor is ready to lobby the state government to transfer the $144 million it has allocated to construction of a flood-free bridge at River Street to the ring road project, with the survey results critical to his cause.
“If the results show the community does not support the River Street option and do support a ring road, we will go back to the government and urge them to rethink their plan,” he said on Wednesday.
I believe it would be necessary for council to contribute to the project..
- Dubbo mayor Ben Shields
But survey respondents will have to make decisions without much information about the ring road with a flood-proof river crossing.
“Until the road alignment is finalised, it is difficult to accurately estimate what the total cost of this project would be," Cr Shields said on Thursday.
“Council would be seeking funding through various grant programs from both state and federal governments, as well as providing funding from council, particularly from section 94 development contributions.
“I believe it would be necessary for council to contribute to the project but how much would depend on how much state or federal funding is available.”
The mayor was asked if the cost of the ring road would far exceed the $144 million in the state budget for Dubbo’s third bridge.
“We don’t know the full details of what the $144 million is expected to deliver, and don’t have an estimate of the proposed ring road at this stage,” he said.
Cr Shields also pleaded ignorance to progress in the planning of the bridge at River Street.
“This work is currently being undertaken by RMS (Roads and Maritime Services),” he said. “Council are not aware of the costs or the exact progress of this work.”
