The Thurra River Bridge will not be rebuilt for another two and half years, the Minister for Environment, Ingrid Stitt, announced on Wednesday – late 2025 at the earliest, almost six years after the fires in which it was destroyed.

Nationals Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said the continued pushing out of the timeline for both this and the Cape Conran cabins and boardwalk was disgraceful.

Answering questions at a hearing on Wednesday, Ms Stitt, who was fumbling for excuses and not having any real knowledge of the topic, said it has gone out for tender, before retreating on this comment and saying the Department had only “recently completed the pre-construction planning phase” and that it was complex work.

Mr Bull, who described the Minister’s response as utter rubbish, said the reality is a bridge was built there 40 years ago and engineering practices have improved considerably since.

“The disappointing thing is we also have jetties not rebuilt at Mallacoota, we have Cape Conran cabins not yet commenced and the Cape Conran boardwalk has been at a standstill for 12 months.

“None of these jobs are as complex as the level crossing removals they are completing in Melbourne in far less than six years, it is just appalling.

“Proof the Minister has no idea what she is talking about is that the questions were asked on my behalf by my colleague, the Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, who sits on this committee and the Minister referred to these locations being in his electorate. She is a few hundred kilometres out!

“Of course this comes on the back of the Departmental Secretary last year referring to it as a bridge to an island, when it is in fact quite simply a bridge over a river on the mainland.”

Mr Bull said he will continue to push for a shorter timeframe for these works.

Monday, 19 June 2023