Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne has given no date for the release of the Yarrawonga–Mulwala Movement and Network Study.
Opinion
There’s an internet adage called Godwin’s Law, which says the longer an online conversation, or social media thread grows, the chances of someone being called a Nazi becomes almost certain.
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Here at the Yarrawonga Chronicle, we have our own little Godwin’s Law, called ‘the bridge’.
It doesn’t matter the topic, if we post on social media, it’s only a matter of time before someone mentions the bridge, even if it’s completely unrelated to the topic at hand.
Such is the level of concern about the need to replace the 100-year-old, no longer fit-for-purpose bridge (or even close to it) that spans Lake Mulwala.
If ever there was a community united on an issue, it’s this one.
Last week’s bridge crash was an inconvenience for many, but it’s only a matter of time until the repercussions are much more serious.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
On Saturday, November 1, a crash happened on the bridge - we won’t call it an accident because drunk drivers don’t have accidents, they cause crashes.
Traffic on the only road that connects Yarrawonga and Mulwala was at a standstill for an hour.
The Ski Club’s courtesy bus brought passengers to the weir bridge where they walked across to catch a taxi; even the band was caught out on the wrong side of the chaos and started playing 90 minutes late.
All minor inconveniences in the scheme of things, but it could have been worse, much worse.
What if emergency services needed to cross? But you don’t need me to point out the myriad of ‘what ifs’.
It’s been eight years since Moira Shire residents voted in a plebiscite to determine their preference for the route for a new bridge.
The 100-year-old bridge is no longer fit for purpose but no further planning can occur until the Victorian Government commits to a route for a new bridge.
Overwhelmingly, residents, Federation and Moira Shire councils, and the NSW Government identified the Green Route as the preferred option.
On August 13 this year, in an email to Minister for Regional Development and Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, Victorian Roads and Road Safety Minister Melissa Horne acknowledged “significant challenges faced by the community due to the current bridge’s limitations and the need for a new crossing”.
“We know that Yarrawonga and Mulwala function as a single community, sharing employment opportunities, services, and recreational facilities and the existing bridge is crucial for this cross-border connection,” Ms Horne wrote.
She said a recent review of all the Murray River Crossings identified that further planning was required for the replacement of the Yarrawonga–Mulwala Bridge.
That’s right!
Further planning is needed; NSW, local government and residents worked that out four years ago when they backed the Green Route, along the railway line.
Until Victoria does the same there will be no business plan, which is needed to secure Federal funds, no further planning, and no bridge in sight.
Their stalling on this crucial decision is, by all accounts, a bridge too far for this community.
Instead, we wait for results from yet another study - the Yarrawonga–Mulwala Movement and Network Study, which is due to be released “in 2025”.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Traffic Bridge supporters Robert Purtle OAM (left) and John Lawless have worked tirelessly for years to lift the bridge’s priority level.
Green Route committee chair, John Lawless believes the decision to support the Green route is common sense.
He says a new bridge could be built from bank to bank without interfering with commerce and gets the heavy vehicles out of Belmore St with very little acquisition of land.
His frustration is growing as the cost rises from initial estimates at $100 million dollars to potentially more than $200 million; still just 10 per cent of the $2 billion MCG redevelopment.
In the meantime, an almost-complete business case, prepared by the NSW side, sits gathering dust until Victoria decides.
The next crash on the Yarrawonga Mulwala Bridge is inevitable, let’s hope it’s no more serious than the last, and that no ambulance needs emergency access while traffic is at a standstill.
