More than five years after it was damaged in the Black Summer Bushfires, the rebuild of the Thurra River Bridge is progressing.
Photos taken by Lakes Entrance Helicopters recently show vehicles on the bridge, which is expected to be completed by late 2025.
The bridge’s wooden piers were damaged during the 2019/20 bushfires, causing it to collapse in the middle.
The bridge and the access road was then further damaged during the 2022 floods in East Gippsland, meaning the bridge debris couldn’t be cleared until September 2022.
Meanwhile, the State Government has commenced and completed the grandiose new 450 metre St Kilda Pier between 2022 and 2024, while the 20 metre jetties on Mallacoota Inlet needing replacement have not commenced, despite being funded in 2020.
Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said to make matters worse, Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos gave no timelines for reinstating Mallacoota’s damaged infrastructure, simply stating “Parks Victoria is currently going through the required planning approvals for the damaged jetties and toilets.
“I am advised that once all of the planning approvals are secured, construction will commence.”
“More than four years on from the announcement, to be told they are still working through planning approvals is a disgrace.
“Given the jetties are being rebuilt where a jetty formerly was and, in some cases still is, you would think it would be straight forward,” he said.
“This is a government that said it would walk with us every step of the way in fire recovery and Labor MP’s constantly stand in Parliament, reading from their prepared notes, saying they look after country Victoria. Talk about speaking with a forked tongue.
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“The announcement was made in November 2020 with the allocation of $2.8 million to ‘back projects that bring visitors back to Gippsland’.
“I asked Mr Dimopoulos for a firm date on when they will be completed, but clearly, he does not know.
“As I have said many times, if these jetties and toilet blocks were on Port Phillip they would have been completed within a very short timeframe, but it is just another case – as we see right across the state – of this city-centric government treating those who live in the regions, as second-class citizens.
“The Mallacoota community and visitors have been patient for long enough, they want answers.
“It is incredible that before works even commenced on the massive new $53 million St Kilda Pier, Parks Victoria gave specific completion dates, but we still have none for jobs that are not even one fiftieth of the scale.”
