Anger and fears over Council’s sudden closure of Kindee Bridge

KINDEE resident Chris O’Brien, 73, lives on his own since his wife passed away earlier this year.

A resident of the area for more than 35 years, he is fiercely independent.

But as the survivor of a triple bypass, heart valve replacement, and four mini strokes, he worries about what will happen to him in the event of a bushfire or medical emergency.

That worry intensified on Tuesday when Kindee Bridge was suddenly closed.

A trip into Wauchope via the bridge is approximately 30 minutes, it will now require a detour on a rough road and will take more than an hour.

Chris told News Of The Area, “I heard rumours on Tuesday that the bridge might be closing.

“So that afternoon I called the Council, the lady I spoke to said that she had no knowledge of that happening, and that if it was going to [close], Council would advise residents.”

Less than two hours later, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council posted a notice on their Facebook page and issued a media release, announcing that the bridge was closed until further notice due to structural integrity and safety concerns.

The bridge won’t reopen until a specialist can inspect it and make recommendations; and a detour is now in place via Pipeclay Road with motorists advised to allow additional travel time.

PMHC Acting Director Community Infrastructure Blayne West told News Of The Area, “the closure was necessary to manage the safety risk to motorists.

“Results of inspections have unfortunately shown that we cannot be confident of the bridge’s current load capacity.”

While Chris understands it is essential to maintain safe infrastructure for locals, he is concerned about the lack of communication from Council to residents, particularly as he is aware of several who do not access the internet or social media.

He remains hopeful that they will receive formal communications in the next few days with more information, particularly around plans for emergencies.

By Rachael Thorpe