The Save the Snowy Rail Bridge Inc. committee held its annual general meeting on August 23, where the executive and general committee members were unanimously returned to their positions.
The meeting was well-attended online, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and support within the community for the restoration of the historic Snowy Rail Bridge and its current state of restoration.
Save the Snowy Rail Bridge formed with the mission to save the Snowy River railway viaduct from further degradation and restore it for use as a walk and cycleway as part of the East Gippsland Rail Trail.
This iconic 770-metre-long structure, the longest timber rail bridge in Victoria, has straddled the Snowy flood plains since 1916.
Restoring it to a condition suitable for walking and riding will create a stunning start or finish to a trip along the Rail Trail and provide a unique recreational opportunity for locals and tourists.
The Snowy Rail Bridge is not only an engineering marvel but also a beloved local landmark.
Highly visible from the Princes Highway at Orbost, it offers a significant marketing opportunity for the town, providing another compelling reason for tourists to stop in our district and support local businesses.
In her president’s report, Liz Mitchell provided an insightful update on the progress of the restoration works, which have been eagerly anticipated by both local residents and those further afield.
“As many of you will have seen,” she remarked, “on-the-ground works on the restoration of the Snowy Rail Bridge finally started in early 2023.
“It is hard to overstate the excitement and relief I feel at seeing the bridge starting to stand straight, vegetation cleared, carparks ready, and plans for superb landscaping, interpretive works, and a striking feature entry well progressed.”
Liz highlighted the significant milestones achieved so far, including the commencement of ancillary works by McInnes Earthmoving in February 2024, funded by the Commonwealth Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Fund.
These works include the construction of a new eastern carpark at the Orbost end, a remade western carpark at the Newmerella end, and levelling works around the bridge view site on the Viaduct trail.
In May, the same contractor began essential stabilisation, and repair works on the bridge’s substructure, funded by the Victorian government’s Tourism Infrastructure Program.
However, Liz also acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly in securing funding for the next phase of the project.
“By this time last year, it was definitively shown that this funding would not be sufficient to complete the full restoration of the bridge,” she explained.
“A rescope of works was undertaken, and variation to our grant agreement was submitted to the Victorian government, defining the current works as stage one.
“This will deliver stabilisation of the substructure and approximately 200 metres of new decking at either end of the bridge to allow some public access onto the structure.
“This variation was approved by Minister Dimopoulos in early March this year, allowing the process of formally contracting McInnes Earthmoving to commence.”
Looking forward, the emphasis of securing additional funding for stage two, which will involve completing the decking along the full length of the bridge and further preservation and restoration works.
She also mentioned a formal Committee of Management would be appointed within the next 12 months to manage the Crown Land reserve on which the bridge sits.
The meeting concluded with a reminder that associate memberships are now due.
“Memberships help us raise vital funds to keep the group functioning,”.
“Our grant funds cannot be used for items such as association insurance,
website hosting, Zoom account, or some of our accounting services. We have kept the cost at $22 for individuals, $33 for families, $10 for concessions, and $110 for organisations.”
Ms Mitchell urged those who have not yet renewed their memberships or who are interested in supporting the project to consider joining.
“Considerable unseen work continues as we seek to find and secure funding for stage two of the project,” she said.
“All help is greatly appreciated, so if you haven’t signed up before or have let your membership lapse, we would love to hear from you.”
For those interested in supporting the project, membership forms are available, and updates can be followed on the group’s Facebook page.
