18 February 2025, 5:39 AM
Hawkesbury residents are calling on the State and Federal Governments to fully fund the long-promised new Richmond bridge crossing, amid growing concerns that the project in its current form will fail to deliver what was promised and may even worsen conditions for existing residents.At a community meeting over the weekend, residents voiced frustration that only part of the project would be built due to a funding shortfall, leaving critical infrastructure incomplete. Many also reiterated long-standing calls for a bypass bridge south of the current crossing, a proposal that has been consistently rejected.Residents called for urgent political intervention to ensure that the new bridge project is fully funded, built right the first time, and accompanied by a definitive timeline. "Build it once and build it right, first time, completely, funded and with a definitive timeline. The delays can't continue and the wait has been too long,” a spokesperson for the Richmond Bridge Traffic Action group said. They argue that the current bypass proposal is unacceptable, as it would neither alleviate traffic congestion nor be future-proof.Transport for NSW released design and impact documents (known as the REF documents) in December, outlining the current plan: a four-lane bridge over the Hawkesbury River, approximately 360 metres long and 30 metres downstream of the existing bridge. The new crossing would feature two lanes in each direction and be built at a height to provide a five percent AEP flood immunity. However, a funding shortfall means only part of the project will be built unless more funds are provided.Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman welcomed the presence of Transport for NSW (TfNSW) representatives at the meeting, saying it was important for officials to hear community concerns firsthand. She said residents on the Richmond side of the river were particularly impacted by the decision to only complete Stage 2A of the project. "The impact on Southee Rd residents of only completing Stage 2A is profound," she said, adding that the plan for Stage 2B "is not to the satisfaction of those residents."Around 75 residents attended the meeting, hosted by the Richmond Bridge Traffic Action Group. Hawkesbury councillors, State MP Robyn Preston, and Templeman were also present. Concerns raised included inadequate funding, the impact on heritage properties such as Hobartville Stud and Durham House, and a lack of required heritage assessments. Residents also criticised the project for failing to provide a true bypass, for doubling traffic along Southee Road, and for not accounting for the scale of development west of the river.The $500 million project was originally announced with great fanfare by Liberal Party politicians at all levels of government. At the announcement on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 2021, then Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his state and local council Liberal colleagues endorsed the so-called Green Route as the preferred option. However, the plan faced strong community backlash for failing to provide flood resilience or a bypass, and one year later, the route was scrapped in favour of the current plan, which offers greater flood resilience but still does not bypass Richmond.Templeman criticised the assessment of heritage impacts in the environmental review as inadequate, noting that TfNSW had committed to revisiting the issue. While there was broad community support for the bridge, she said residents wanted a clear funding timeline for Stage 2B and improvements to the planned route.Residents at the weekend meeting expressed frustration that, despite years of advocacy, the government continues to disregard their concerns. One resident passionately argued for an alternative route, stating, “That Driftway needs to go straight ahead and right around, avoiding Hobartville. Why go right and left, creating noise and pollution for those people, when the obvious route is straight through the Driftway? That’s a proper bypass. Put more money into it. The Hawkesbury needs it. We’ve been neglected for over 100 years.”Another resident questioned the logic of proceeding with an underfunded project: “Why are we going from two lanes to four lanes and then back to two lanes? Because of the bridge, we’re getting more development. Transport for NSW has factored in some of it, but this is only the start. Once that bridge is there, we are basically open for business.”Concerns were also raised about traffic bottlenecks, with a resident stating, “It doesn’t matter if you build a four-lane bridge. It’s still going to come back to one lane. I live on the western side, and every week I’m stuck in traffic. It keeps getting worse, and yet we keep adding more development on that side, meaning more and more people trying to get over the river.”Templeman also noted two key issues that emerged at the meeting. Residents at the corner of Southee and Castlereagh roads, where a large roundabout is planned, had not been consulted until recently, despite the project’s significant impact on their homes. Additionally, the new owner of the North Richmond Post Office was unaware of the upgrade when he purchased the business and is now deeply concerned about the loss of parking. "Robyn Preston and I undertook to work with Australia Post and Transport for NSW so that we can try and find a suitable resolution for his business," Templeman said.She stressed that the project is constrained by a budget allocated by the previous Liberal government, which has now been revealed as inadequate. "We know that leaves a shortfall. I have already said that projects of this scale are funded over a number of years, and I’ll be working with my government and the NSW Government to ensure there is no delay in the completion of the entire project."Reaffirming her commitment to securing full funding, Templeman said, "I started the process to build a bridge, and I won’t stop until the project is properly completed."
