Tharwa Bridge decision welcomed
Deb Foskey, Greens MLA, today welcomed the ACT Governmentâ??s decision to repair rather than replace the Tharwa Bridge.
â??I believe that everyone involved will be happy about this decision, as it is cost effective and retains part of the ACTâ??s heritage,â?? said Dr Foskey.
â??It is concerning that the bridgeâ??s heritage value, recognised by the National Trust since 1980, and by the ACT Government since 1996, wasnâ??t taken into account in the early stages of decision-making.â??
â??It should not take more than two years for a good decision to be made when the evidence has been there all along, and early engineersâ?? reports indicated that repair was possible.â??
â??It wasnâ??t until recently that the government sought community opinion which overwhelmingly sought repair rather than replacement.â??
â??Had it followed its own processes of community engagement, along with expert opinion, it could have reached this decision many months ago.â??
â??I can only hope that the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services has learned from this process that expert advice and the communityâ??s opinions are worth listening to and lead to better decisions,â?? said Deb Foskey.
