Only two options for the proposed South Dubbo Bridge will be put to the public for feedback, despite some councillors arguing for more.
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In August, Dubbo Regional Council received $100,000 from the NSW government to look into a southern bridge crossing.
Expected to cost between $33.9 million and $35.7 million, the bridge would help ease traffic congestion and provide another river crossing in addition to the LH Ford, Serisier and New Dubbo Bridge.
The experts found four locations that could be used for the South Dubbo bridge.
But at the Dubbo Regional Council committee meetings on Monday night, it was decided only two of the options would go on public exhibition.
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Councillors David Grant, Jane Diffey and Stephen Lawrence all pushed for the four options to be included in the consultation. But their plan was defeated.
"At present the only options we are putting forward are running directly through one of our major sporting precincts," Cr Grant said.
"And I personally believe the community should have their say on all the options that council has spent their taxpayers money on."
At this stage, the two options for the proposed bridge are for it to be constructed from either Minore Road to Sandy Beach Road/Bligh Street or from Minore Road to South Street/Bligh Street.
According to the report commissioned by council, the first option, crossing at Sandy Bridge Road, would impact access to Sandy Beach, whereas the second option would encroach on the southern end of the Lady Cutler ovals.
Mayor Ben Shields, as well as councillors Vicki Etheridge, Dayne Gumley, Greg Mohr, Kevin Parker and John Ryan, voted for only the two options to be released.
Councillor Anne Jones was absent.
Cr Lawrence said the proposed South Dubbo bridge was not the first to invoke a strong division of opinion. However, he said in this case, the division was within the council chambers, not the community.
"I don't think there's any expertise on council in respect to engineering, or anything like that, and I don't think we can say all the myriad of opinions there would be in the community about the four options are represented in this room," the deputy mayor said.
"We never know what we might learn from the community and we never know how our views might be changed, but all that is cut off at the knees, that process is truncated, it's not possible, if we release an abridged version of that report."
Cr Diffey said she took an oath, along with the rest of the councillors, and one of the things they spoke about was being "open and transparent".
She said to be open and transparent, all four options should be put out for public consultation.
But despite the arguments, only two options will be included in the community consultation process.
Once the options go out for community consultation, a further report on the feedback will be provided for the councillors.
In December, mayor Ben Shields said his preferred crossing was Minore Road to Sandy Beach/Bligh Street due to the congestion at the Whylandra Street roundabout.
Cr Grant said he expected it would be four of five years before Dubbo Regional Council was ready to construct the bridge.