An improved path around Tathra Headland could come a step closer this week.
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At Bega Valley Shire Council’s meeting on Wednesday, councillors will decide what should be done with $50,000 initially allocated to rebuild the Thatchers Flat footbridge.
The footbridge provided pedestrian access from the Hobbs Corner camping site, informal parking areas and informal walking tracks across a creek to the southern end of Tathra Beach and a carpark.
During the east coast low in June last year, it was damaged and had to be removed for safety reasons.
While council’s meeting agenda for Wednesday states there has been a strong interest from the community in a headland path, there were “limited options” for funding the path without impacting on other areas of council work.
As a result, a proposal has been made to redirect the funding for rebuilding the Thatchers Flat footbridge.
In January, council held consultation with the community asking respondents if they preferred for the funding to be spent on replacing the footbridge, new pathways to improve access to the Tathra Beach, or the next stage of planning for the Tathra Headland Path.
The majority preferred to put the money towards the headland path, so council staff will recommend councillors support doing so at the upcoming meeting.
Staff will also recommend installing additional footpaths focusing on the key paths of travel from Hobbs Corner to Tathra Beach if the surplus budget is available.
But there may be little funding available for the physical side of the headland project, as the Tathra Headland and Wharf Access Group has previously asked council for $40,000 to be put towards the site assessment, planning and costing phase.
In the past, the community has been divided between those who preferred a walking track around the headland and those who wanted to see the ring road rebuilt.
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.