Mulwala’s bridge survey in April

“Council staff are finalising the survey material to then be sent to the NSW Electrical Commissioner who will manage the process of sending the survey out,” Federation Council’s General Manager Adrian Butler said at yesterday’s monthly council meeting.

“Council expects this process to take six to eight weeks all up and considers it critical that a decision be made by Federation Council, to then allow continued lobbying of both State Governments and the Federal Government to raise the priority of this project.”

Both local councils were shocked to learn last year of a new Yarrawonga Mulwala Traffic Bridge does not rate as highly as several other new bridges and could be five to 10 years away.    

After the Mulwala survey Federation Council wants to have a meeting with representatives of many organisations and to discuss the new bridge for Lake Mulwala and the existing weir bridge impending closure set for 2020.

Those organisations/individuals are: Moira Shire Council, the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), NSW and Victorian Cross Border Commissioners, NSW and Victorian State members, Federal members and the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.

At the suggestion of Cr Fred Longmire other related entities will be invited as doubt was expressed as to the ownership of particular infrastructure.

Cr Bronwyn Thomas agreed; “structural ownership needs to be clarified.  There’s a hydro power station, there’s a generator – we need to be sure of ownership and invite appropriate owners accordingly,” she said.

Cr Longmire said he is totally behind the survey of Mulwala-based residents. “There were reasons in the $7 million VicRoads led report for the grey route which was totally supported by the former Corowa Shire Council,” he said. “But surveying the Mulwala people is the right way to go.”

“The main agenda item will be to discuss lifting the priority and timing of the new bridge, and to discuss options with the existing weir bridge, in light of the decision by the MDBA to shut the weir bridge in 2020,” Mayor Pat Bourke said.

“Discussions should look towards if there is a willingness for the MDBA to reconsider this decision if a firmer timeline can be established for a new bridge.”    

For the survey, Federation Council has obtained permission from the NSW Electoral Commissioner to use the electoral roll for the postcode 2647 (Mulwala area) to survey residents as to their preference for the green or grey route for a new crossing over Lake Mulwala.

“This will be far more cost effective than utilizing private survey firms or other methods, and is considered a sufficient and more robust process by ensuring permanent residents are surveyed,” Mr Butler said. 

The decision made by both states’ governments and the states’ road authorities has been for the grey route – alongside the existing traffic bridge. The previous Victorian Liberal Government backed the green route but the new Labor Government decided on the grey route as recommended by  VicRoads. The previous Corowa Shire Council was unanimous in its resolve for the grey route. 

Despite the decision being made some years ago, it is believed that no grey route bridge design has been developed.  Although there has not been a vote in the new Federation Council as to its preferred route, it is believed that, in a close vote the green route would be preferred.

Moira Shire Council has remained steadfast in its resolve for the green route, alongside the railway line and has the backing of the greater percentage of Yarrawonga residents following a survey of Yarrawonga-based residents in September, 2017.   The Victorian Electoral Commission sent out 8824 ballot packs to residents in the 3730 (Yarrawonga including areas round Bundalong) and 3728 (Tungamah and Wilby areas) postcodes.  Of the 4970 ballots returned, 3159 voted in favour of the green route, 968 voted in favour of the grey route. There were 843 informal votes received by the VEC.

At a Federation Council meeting last year, the question was put to the mayor as to what action would be taken if the survey reveals a grey route preference. “We’d have to consider it and decide what action we’d take,” Mayor Bourke said.

A report prepared by RMS and VicRoads in 2018 shelved a replacement bridge, which is expected to cost in excess of $100 million, as a “mid-term priority” where investment is only aimed at planning for growth and likely to be only required within five to 10 years.

According to the Murray River Crossing Investment Priority Assessment report, investment for a new bridge for Yarrawonga Mulwala will fall behind six other bridges along the Murray River.  

Moira and Federation Shire Councils expressed their concerns about the lower priority rating, particularly with the expected closure of the weir bridge in 2020, along with the possibility of the main traffic bridge potentially being made one lane as a result of safety issues and excess loads.