Bridge Petition Quotes...
"I am a heritage architect and heritage advisor to the ACT Government and Palerang Council. NO action should be taken to destroy the bridge until a proper heritage assessment has been made"
David Hobbes, PHILIP LEESON ARCHITECTS
A Bridge Tour of Upper Lachlan Shire
How they stack up - one residents view
| Bridge | Cost | Importance to local community | Damage to environment |
| Collector Creek Bridge (not yet constructed) | $220,000 | High | High |
| Burwood Creek Bridge | $850,000 | Medium (Acces road to Bigga) | Low |
| Commissioners Creek Bridge | $590,000 | Low | Low |
| Wowagin Creek Bridge | $425,000 | Low | Low |
| Woolshed Creek Bridge (not yet visited, or constructed) | $450,000 | Low | Low |
Well, we've read about the rash of timber bridges that the ULSC have recently or are replacing, and we also know just how expensive they will be. However it's difficult to really grasp how they compare to the Collector Creek bridge without actually viewing them - we haven't even seen so much as a sketch of the proposed low-level culvert for Collector Creek - why this rush and lack of community consultation? Could there be something to hide?
In an attempt to try to answer these questions, I grabbed the family and the camera for a beautiful day of vistas, coffee, playgrounds - and some really, REALLY remarkable Council decisions...
Overview
Both Commissioners Creek and Wowagin Bridges are located toward the Taralga end of the Crookwell-Laggan-Taralga Rd. This is a quiet back road that is currently being upgraded, at great expense (approx 1.5 million dollars). We counted less than four cars on it's entire 30-odd kilometre length (Hmm, I wonder if the Council did a bridge/s vehicle count here?). I could not see any residences anywhere within sight of either bridge and both bridges were located on unremarkable stretches of road surrounded by paddocks. Whilst this road is partially sealed from both ends, where the bridges are located (just a few kms apart from each other) is dirt (or, "gravel").
The bridges themselves appear to my unpracticed eye to be large concrete box-culvert structures - large enough for me to easily stand in. Apparently, Collector Creek is slated for their smaller cousins. Extremely unattractive structures, the bridge tops are normal road surface, disguising the fact that there is a waterway underneath. A rather disturbing feature of these tall boxes, is that there is a sheer drop off of the side down to a concrete slab. Clearly, these are not pedestrian or cyclist bridges - surely these were not designed with towns in mind. In Collector, it could be fair to say that there would be a real concern for tourists and cyclists dropping off the edge, as there are are to be no safety rails on the culvert - it acts as a "spill way" in floods. They are not kind to the eye in any sense, but no doubt the attraction for Council in construction of this type of replacement bridge is their affordability, ease of installation and low on-going maintenance costs.
Given the extravagant costs associated with their construction, these bridges - sitting there in all their glory in the middle of nowhere - reminded me of a big party that no-one had bothered to attend
At the other end of the Upper Lachlan Shire we found Burwood Creek Bridge, which is the bridge Council have just borrowed $850,000 to replace. This pretty little timber bridge is located in a valley, in between Binda and Bigga. Again, located in the middle-of-nowhere on a quiet road with not a house in sight.
All bridges appeared to be smaller than Collector Creek bridge, yet their value, despite their remote locations, are apparently far higher.
Burwood Creek Bridge | $850,000
You can view a map of the location of this bridge here
Burwood Creek Bridge is a small timber bridge that is marked for replacement in the near future, with funds of $850,000 already obtained for construction.
This bridge is valued approximately four times more than the Collector Creek Bridge.
View images of the current Burwood Creek Bridge here
Commissioners Creek Bridge | $590,000
You can view a map of the location of this bridge here
Commissioners Creek Bridge is the larger of the two new Taralga locality bridges and is anticipated to have cost $590,000 upon completion (almost complete).
This bridge is valued at approximately three times more than the Collector Creek Bridge.
View images of the new Commissioners Creek Bridge here
Wowagin Creek Bridge | $425,000
You can view a map of the location of this bridge here
Wowagin Creek Bridge appears to be the smaller of the two new Taralga locality bridges and is anticipated to have cost $425,000 upon completion (almost complete).
This bridge is valued approximately two times more than the Collector Creek Bridge.
View images of the new Wowagin Creek Bridge here
You can read the ULSC Business Paper referring to these bridges here: Upper Lachlan Shire Council Business Paper May 2010 (Works and Operations Department) - Page nos. B8, B9
Return to the Save Collector Creek page here
(Click on image to enlarge)