Deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence says he finds it "impossible to imagine" a bridge will be built over Sandy Beach.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dubbo Regional Council currently has four proposed options for the South Dubbo Bridge on public exhibition.
One of the options, which would cost $33.9 million, has been heavily criticised for its impact on Sandy Beach. It would be constructed from Minore Road to Sandy Beach Road/Bligh Street.
It's led to the creation of the Save Dubbo's Sandy Beach Facebook page, which has more than 640 members. The page says the proposed bridge would "destroy the town's main recreation corridor, that is treasured by the community and is located close to the city centre".
There are four main arguments the page has posed against the proposed bridge route: it would harm the native fish and birds, Sandy Beach is a popular recreational spot, it would impact the Track Riley Cycleway and trees would be removed.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
- No time like the present for long-time love-struck newlyweds
- School of Rural Health Dubbo senior lecturer takes out top award in virtual ceremony
- Heartbreaking: Kat's business dream 'crushed' by storm
- Chamber music festival makes the right pitch to foundation
- Help beat the Grinch who stole from country kids
But Cr Lawrence said it's "100 per cent wrong" that council has decided to build a bridge over Sandy Beach.
"There is no one who is making a decision to build a bridge over Sandy Beach. I find it impossible to imagine it could happen," he said.
There are three other options for the bridge on the table.
Option B would be a curved bridge going from Minore Road to South Street/Bligh Street. Option C would go from Minore Road to Macquarie Street/Tamworth Street. The final bridge route, Option D, would be constructed from the Yuille Crescent/Newell Highway intersection to Macquarie Street/Tamworth Street.
Cr Lawrence said it was important to understand it wasn't "about council saying that any of the four [were] acceptable or unacceptable". It was just the start of a process of consultation, he said.
"As far as I was concerned, I find it impossible to imagine that a process of community consultation is going to come back with support for putting a bridge over Sandy Beach, I just do not think that is going to happen. I can't imagine anything other than overwhelming community opposition," he said.
The deputy mayor reiterated the council would be listening to all of the concerns raised by the community.
I can't imagine anything other than overwhelming community opposition.
- Deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence
Council's director infrastructure Julian Geddes said there would be input from the community throughout the progress of the proposed bridge.
The feedback period on the proposed South Dubbo Bridge and the Transportation Strategy will be open until February 5.
"Council will use the initial round of feedback to gain a better understanding of the community's views of these strategic alignments, and their potential impacts on stakeholders and user groups," Mr Geddes said.
"Staff will then progress with a business case that details an assessment of benefits and costs, as well as the community feedback, and present this to council for further consideration.
Feedback on the proposed bridge can be submitted via the council website.