Documents that include the NSW government's consultation processes in regards to the River Street Bridge project will be available for public viewing next month.
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Shadow Minister for Rural Transport and Aboriginal Affairs David Harris and Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Rural Roads and Western NSW Mick Veitch delivered the 'Stop the River Street Bridge' petition to parliament last Tuesday.
The petition, which was supported by more than 11,000 people who want the state government's $220 million River Street bridge proposal scrapped has been passed in legislative council and will be debated in the lower house in early 2021.
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On Wednesday Mr Veitch also called for a Standing Order 52 in the upper house, which is a call for papers. The motion was agreed, which would see public access to the NSW government's documents, including business case and consultation processes, in regard to the River Street bridge project.
"Everyone wants to know what is driving the government's decision. What information have they got that makes them so convinced this is the right project," Mr Veitch told the Daily Liberal.
"Those documents will be vital to work out why the government is progressing so quickly with this project."
The NSW government is forging ahead with a plan to build a bridge over the Macquarie River, however opponents want the project canned and a bypass around Dubbo to be built.
The government plans to build the bridge off River Street in North Dubbo and connect it with a new link to Whylandra Street in West Dubbo. They believe it is the best option that will provide an alternate crossing over the river in the event of a flood.
However those opposed believe the project is a waste of money as it doesn't guarantee it would ease traffic congestion or be flood proof.
Those in favour of the petition have argued a high-level road to be built at Troy Bridge and a bypass around Dubbo would be better suited and would benefit the industrial growth of the town.
Mr Veitch said as the Shadow Minister for Rural Roads and Western NSW, it was important to deliver the petition to be debated, and support the Dubbo Regional Council's concerns about why the preferred option of the Troy Bridge wasn't considered.
"Hypothetically, I think that a lack of information in the documents could support the council's position," he said.
"I mean the council have already done a lot of work around that Troy Bridge and the bypass, including a lot of consultation."
"When I was [in Dubbo] the other day, the argument put forward by the council was pretty compelling," he said.
"To get 11,000 signatures in a community like Dubbo, that's a pretty significant effort involved in that process, so the community's also speaking."
Mr Veitch said he was shocked talking to trucking industry representatives, who claimed they had not been consulted.
"When the trucking industry said they hadn't been consulted I thought they are the main users of the road, why would you not talk to them?," Mr Veitch said.
"Again I'm hoping the consultation mechanism the government adopted will be contained in that call for papers to see why they weren't consulted, or if they were just who did they consult."
The shadow minister for roads praised the work of the Stop the River Street bridge campaign.
"The volunteers and those who organised the petition have done an outstanding job, and I think regardless of your position on the River Street bridge, you've got to acknowledge that petition had a lot of interest and there were a lot of people involved and they should be thanked."
The documents will be available for public viewing next month.