The beauty of the Troy Bridge Road option

The Editor

We read with interest two letters in Dubbo Photo News last week. Mr O’brien [Letter to the Editor, “Council should stop stalling River St Bridge”] agrees that the River St Bridge will be no help in a flood and that we need a bypass. Unfortunately, however, the River St Bridge would not help with congestion, even in the short term.

We need the bypass now and the roundabout needs to remain to discourage trucks coming through the middle of town and residential areas.

Widening Whylandra St by removing kerbside parking will cause locals to back out of driveways straight into the path of heavy vehicles. Garbage and recycling trucks will block traffic in highway lanes when collecting residents’ bins.

With islands down the middle of the highway and no left/right turns, there will be more traffic queuing in the side streets searching for access to Whylandra St.

Although the River St Bridge may decrease traffic in Erskine Street, this will be at the expense of increasing traffic on Whylandra St. The only way for vehicles to get onto and off the River St Bridge in West Dubbo is to pass in front of the locals trying to cross the Serisier Bridge.

Newell Highway traffic using the River St Bridge would also pass in front of locals trying to cross the L.H. Ford Bridge. Both bridge intersections would be busier and there could be one long tailback between them during peak hours and beyond.

Mr Hodder [Letter to the Editor, “Call a public meeting on bridge and bypass”] also makes some good points. He is welcome to attend a public meeting to be held on August 28 at 6.30pm at the Westside Hotel. There needs to be a bridge south of the L.H. Ford, however most residents don’t believe Tamworth St is suitable for a high level bridge.

Low level bridges trap dead trees and other debris during floods, preventing flood waters draining away as quickly.

Whilst we prefer high level bridges in general, the flood plain is so wide at Tamworth St that a bridge there would be very long and costly compared to one at Troy Bridge Rd where the flood plain is narrower. Heavy vehicles and highway traffic would destroy the character of this narrow residential street and make the area dangerous for the families that live near it.

Trucks and other highway traffic should not be taking long, congestion-prone detours through the middle of town, especially during floods. This is the beauty of Troy Bridge Rd option – eliminating congestion during floods and every other day too!

Jim Cutts (truck driver) & Karina Mclachlain,

Dubbo The Editor

I commend Roger Fletcher and Melissa Fletcher for sponsoring three young employees on their educational trip to Darwin and their visit to the Gurindji people of Wave Hill and Wattie Creek (Daguragu).

Because of their obvious enthusiasm and interest in the ‘Wave Hill walk off’, I would like to suggest two books that will further their knowledge, at least on this subject.

The first book is by author and trade unionist Frank Hardy, titled “The Unlucky Australians” (Thomas Nelson Australia Ltd. 1968). Frank Hardy, on behalf of the trade unions, had so much to do with the campaign for Native Title at Daguragu. The trade unions poured a lot of money into the effort but were also ably assisted by the Northern Territory Administration. (This was an agency of the Federal Government, prior to self-government).

The second book recently published (by Allen and Unwin) is Ted Egan’s autobiography and is also a must read, titled “My Life, Ted Egan, Outback Song Man”. Refer chapters 14 and 15.

It is little known that Ted, apart from his successful career as an entertainer, is somewhat of an intellectual and although born in Victoria has spent the greater part of his life, 60 years and more, in the Northern Territory.

For over 20 years Ted Egan was Head of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Affairs Department and, because of this appointment and his close association with Aborigines through his teaching roles in Aboriginal communities, he is able to give a different but authoritative and heartfelt firsthand account of the ‘walk off’ by the Gurindji people, not otherwise covered in Frank Hardy’s book.

To further validate Ted’s knowledge of events and to recognise his achievements generally in Aboriginal Affairs, Ted was honoured in 2006 with the Federal Government appointment as the Northern Territory Administrator, the equivalent of ‘Governor’ in other states. This further illustrates Ted Egan’s ability, knowledge and the respect he has earned to speak factually of the Walk-off.

Enjoy the books.

Steve Trick,

Dubbo