His plan to conduct a sail past beneath the bridge on Sunday, April 10 — the date of the community bridge event — has gathered momentum in recent days and will now include a 13-piece band on the bow of his boat, The Amphibious.
Mr Iannacone, proprietor of Echuca business Lou’s Tractors, said he had been motivated to organise his own event after hearing of the “uninspiring” plans of officials for the community celebration.
“A lot of people are unhappy about not being able to celebrate appropriately and I am hearing all the excuses in the world about why not much is planned for the day,” Mr Iannacone said.
“But the organisers of the so-called ‘community event’ do not own the town, we do, so I am putting together something I think to be worthy of such an occasion.”
He said he was hoping to work with VicRoads and government officials to include his plans in the program for April 10.
He did, however, admit his plans would go ahead no matter what.
Mr Iannacone is planning a flotilla of boats to pass beneath the bridge on April 10 and is in dicussions with Echuca Aero Club for a flyover.
He told The Riv he felt Campaspe council had put its involvement in the event “in the too-hard basket”, but he had hopes of being able to co-ordinate something with the local government authority away from the bridge.
“They could run a barbecue at the port, something that people could go to after they had walked across the bridge,” he said.
“They can certainly enjoy the event from the water, aboard my boat (The Amphibious) or one of the other boats.”
Mr Iannacone said he was hoping to hear back from paddle steamer operators in regard to them joining the flotilla on the day.
"We need some more boats. Now we have a date maybe they will come on board,’’ he said.
Mr Iannacone has been working with NSW Maritime officials, based at Moama, to gain permission for the sail past.
He said he envisaged people on the bridge being able to enjoy the spectacle of a flotilla on the river and the aircraft above the bridge.
“We will be on the water and in the air,” he said.
He said The Whistlers, a 13-piece band from Shepparton, would be on the bow of his boat after he had not received a reply to his email to the Echuca brass band.
“If we can’t have a focus on the bridge we will shift it to the water. I will be inviting people onto the boat and I hope other boat owners do the same,” he said.
“It will just depend on where people want to be.”
Mr Iannacone is campaigning heavily to have community members take a leading part in the walkover.
“I would love the oldest person in Echuca Moama to lead the way. It would be indicative of the historic nature of the opening,” he said.
“If it is going to be a walkover, let’s make it spectacular one.”
He said he hoped the suggestion of a group starting from the NSW side of the river, and another from the Victorian side, came to fruition.
“Them meeting in the middle would show the connection between the two towns,” he said.
There have been further suggestions that a competition could be conducted in the schools for people to explain why they deserve to be among the first one to walk across the bridge.
Mr Iannacone has been a part of the Echuca-Moama community since 1964 and said he was desperate to make the event more than “a walk across it one day and a drive across it the next”.
“We’ve waited 60 years to do this bridge. This should make headlines Australia wide,” he said.
“I am hoping people on the bridge will be able to look down onto the river and see what is happening. Then look to the air for the flyover.
“I am encouraging people to be involved in community activities on the day — to recognise the day.
“It might not be at the bridge, but it is a way of us recognising the occasion.
“I’m hoping the brass band can at least walk across the bridge on the day.”
His suggestions continued to the point of selling Australian flags for a gold coin donation, money which could be directed toward the Echuca Regional Health’s cancer and wellness centre.
“Maybe we can have flags across the bridge, have some decorations,” he said.
“Fireworks would also be great.”
Having just watched a documentary on the 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge opening, Mr Iannacone finished with this:
“I know it’s not the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but it is our bridge. And the celebration should befit the occasion.”
