The Tathra Ring Road has once again raised its head!
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In today’s letters column, Bega’s Rosemary Brittliff argues a ring road is them most viable option for access to Tathra Wharf. She is not convinced a walkway around the headland will be accessible to enough people in the community.
The debate over the return of a ring road has been running for years and is not going to be solved in this column. However, it’s worth asking the question again as to what the community – and ratepayers – want for the Tathra Headland into the future.
Feasibility studies and surveys into the walking path are well advanced, with the community group behind the proposal seeking council funds to get them “shovel ready” by the second quarter of 2017.
On the other hand, years of work and unknown dollars have been sunk into feasibility studies, environmental impact statements and geotechnical reports for a ring road.
In early 2015, council was told a path could cost in the vicinity of $600,000 but that stabilisation of the cliff face was an “unknown factor”. A ring road was thought to be in the order of $2million-plus.
In her letter, Ms Brittliff also recalls commitments from the state and federal governments for funds towards a ring road made in 2012 during the wharf’s 150th birthday celebrations. State Member Andrew Constance came to the party with $300,000 conditional on matched funds from the feds and council. Then (and now again) federal member Mike Kelly drew cheers when he committed that same amount.
However, it was an amount out of reach for council – at the time and likely still.
Who knows whether those government commitments are even still valid four years and different government leaders on. But are ratepayers even willing to part with millions for the road?
It was said by some the ongoing future of the wharf would be contingent on the ring road being built. However, we have seen just this year the wharf is valued and loved enough for the council to commit immediate funds and works to get it repaired (fingers crossed insurers and/or the state government come good in refunding those council dollars spent).
Meanwhile, a previous reader poll on the issue saw two-thirds of respondents in favour of a path rather than a road. Eighteen months on, has public opinion changed?
Let us know at ben.smyth@fairfaxmedia.com.au or www.facebook.com/Bega News.