At Council's Ordinary meeting Councillors and the community learnt that the $750,000 generously granted by Member for Bega, Andrew Constance to be used to complete the remaining Moruya South Head cycleway will be consumed by Environmental Impact Study reports, designs, land acquisitions and surveys with very little in the way of an actual pathway provided. Councillor Anthony Mayne raised questions during discussions that revealed that the first sections of the cycleway from Moruya South Head East had been very straight forward on sand based level surfaces so the unit rate of $170 to $200 per sq metre was low and accomplishment rate was high. Councillor Mayne led in with the observation that the South Head Cycleway Committee had raised over $500,000 and completed over half the length from Moruya South Head to Moruya The next section required roadworks and kerbing to be designed, budgeted and constructed before the cycleway proper could be located and formed. The remaining section from the Anchorage to Halyard Drive will see the path cross sides and unit rates will be higher due to the need for equipment and the requirement to consider adjacent services. The remaining section, of which the $750,000 is earmarked, will see Council insist that the cycleway takes a set route which is well off-road requiring land acquisition, survey, design and environmental impact reports. Director of Infrastructure, Warren Sharpe advised the Councillors that the section from Halyard Drive to Keightly Street posed "significant challenges" It soon became evident to the Councillors and to the South Head Cycleway committee that the project they hoped would be completed with the funds will require further considerable funding and as such grants aren't readily forthcoming it may be years of waiting for the final section to actually be laid. Director Sharpe did advise that it cost a lot for Council to do the work and that there could be cost savings if volunteers could assist. Councillor Mayne came to the opinion that the missing link might well remain for 5 to 10 years with Councillor Pollock advising him that the Member for Bega was made well aware that the $750,000 would not be enough to complete the project. Councillor Mayne offered that the community can do things cheaper and that there were also alternative views of the route the path might take, running within the road reserve with the existing road pavement widened that would not require the studies,land acquisitions or complex designs. He called on a round table to discuss the alternatives suggesting that "No one has the whole answer" Director Sharpe warned the Councillors not to "Jump to Solutions" and that he was meeting one of the "alternate route" advocates however he advised that he "will not consider anything that puts the community at risk" and also reminded the councillors that the $750,000 has a caveat that it has to be used for an off-road shared pathway.
