Councillor Rob Pollock has given notice that at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 22 November 2016, he
will move the following motion.
MOTION THAT:
1. Council convene an urgent meeting with Roads and Maritime Services, Batemans Marine Park and NSW Fisheries and any other relevant parties with a view to establishing appropriate NSW Government owned wharf facilities on the western side of the Batemans Bay Bridge, thereby significantly reducing the need for consistent and disruptive opening of the Batemans Bay Bridge.
2. Council urge the Roads and Maritime Services to engage with the current users of the waterway to ensure the needs of operators are taken into account in developing solutions. If you have access to the internet you will be able to watch deal with this motion LIVE at 10:00am Nov 22nd on the COUNCIL MEETING WEBSTREAM BACKGROUND The NSW Government is to be highly commended for commencing investigations into the construction of a new bridge crossing of the Clyde River estuary at Batemans Bay. Securing a new four lane bridge crossing at Batemans Bay is essential to provide for the capacity needs of Eurobodalla and south coast region, including provision for 26m higher mass limit B-double access along the Princes Highway. The new bridge must also remove the need to open the bridge to allow boats to travel up river. However the new bridge will take years to construct. The current opening of the existing bridge causes significant delays to traffic on the Princes Highway, resulting in congestion on the highway and in Batemans Bay CBD. This also causes real concern relating to the provision of emergency services for those living north of the Bay. The opening of the bridge also results in a risk of the bridge being stuck in the open position, as occurred recently.A more immediate solution is required.The construction of a NSW Government owned wharf at west Clyde Street could be undertaken in time for the 2017 Christmas holiday period provided there is sufficient good will from all Government agencies involved and providing the NSW Government fund a new NSW Government owned wharf. Such a facility could service commercial and tourism operators, and maybe Sailability. The value of existing boating operators, particularly the tourism and oyster growing operators, to the Eurobodalla and regional economy, is highly regarded. Any discussions in respect to a new wharf should include talking to these operators to fully understand their business needs to optimize any solution developed. Council should facilitate discussion between the relevant NSW Government agencies and businesses to see if a more immediate solution can be developed to reduce the impacts of the current bridge opening on Batemans Bay, Eurobodalla and the south coast region, through the construction of a new NSW Government owned wharf on the west side of the Batemans Bay bridge. Source Council Agenda for Nov 22nd
