Campaspe and Murray River mayors, Chrissy Weller and Chris Bilkey have agreed — if allowed — to play a role in ensuring the Echuca-Moama community has a more significant part to play in the opening of the new bridge.
Late on Monday correspondence from Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s office confirmed what has been known by many for some time — the new bridge’s “community event” will be held on Sunday, April 10.
The document also confirmed the bridge would be open to traffic before Easter.
An official announcement on the community event and the bridge’s opening date for traffic will be made today.
Initial information about the opening suggests local government officials will be kept at arm’s length from the celebration as state and federal government politicians take a lead in the opening.
With the bridge opening only a matter of days away the mayors have accepted The Riv’s offer to be part of a ceremonial walk from either side of the bridge — alongside deserving community members.
All of this will hinge, of course, on permission from the organisers of the bridge opening.
And, of course, is dependent on being able to co-ordinate all parties for the official opening date — which will not be officially announced until later today.
Since details of the proposed “low-key” bridge opening have surfaced there has been a strong push back from the community to expand the event to include more community members and enhance the celebration aspect of the opening.
The Riv has been told by several sources that April 10 has been available for several weeks, but through the web of bureaucratic information sharing it did not arrive on our desk, in black and white, until yesterday.
Mayors Weller and Bilkey are desperate, along with most of the Echuca-Moama population, to see something worthy of a $340 million spend and 60-year wait occur for the bridge opening.
That seems highly unlikely given the very short time frame until the official opening.
But there is a determination in both council leaders that could impact the decision-making process.
Who holds the key to expanding the planned ceremony is still uncertain, with Major Road Projects Victoria apparently in charge.
It is unable, however, to provide full details for The Riv until it has been ticked off a little further up the food chain.
There does, and I glean this only from my 52 years on the earth, seem to be a little bit more room to move than a week ago when The Riv unveiled the reasonably uninspiring plans for a community walk across the bridge, a sausage sizzle and information marquee.
The hope is that officials are now prepared to meet halfway — literally — on the pattern of activity for the opening.
A concept has been developed by the mayors where they would be involved — if allowed — in a community walk from either side of the bridge to meet in the middle — to conduct an unofficial ribbon cutting.
They are sure the official ribbon will be cut by a government official of a much higher ranking than their own.
Cr Weller said she was certainly aware the Campaspe ratepayers wanted more than what was being discussed from the bridge opening.
She said the community had waited 60 years for the new bridge, so it was understandable they were expecting a little bit more “bang for their buck”.
“Mayor Bilkey and I have spoken and agreed to be involved in some sort of ceremony on the bridge, if given permission,” Cr Weller said.
“Nothing has been confirmed, but we certainly are available.”
The Riv’s Facebook call for nominations of people who may be able to flank Cr Weller as she began her walk from the Echuca side of the bridge and community members to accompany Cr Bilkey from the NSW bank has met with a passionate response.
“The bridge opening is a historic event on the back of 50-plus years of advocacy,” Cr Bilkey said.
“It is really appropriate that the community celebrates such a momentous occasion.”
The concept is not a Major Road Projects Victoria, or local government-sanctioned suggestion, simply something we feel would be fitting given the historical significance of the new Murray River crossing’s official opening.
So, until we have the official documentation in front of us we will continue to push for the Echuca-Moama community to have a strong hand in what happens on April 10 — once that date is officially announced of course.
More on Page 3 today.