A RIVERLAND council is set to voice its disappointment regarding a local pedestrian bridge – upgraded by a State Government department – to the Federal Government.
Renmark Paringa councillors passed a motion at its April general meeting to inform Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure’s (DPTI) need to complete pedestrian access at the Bookmark Creek bridge.
Renmark Paringa Council chief executive officer Tony Siviour said DPTI’s previous upgrades of the bridge – which left both ends unpaved with a wooden railing – had failed to provide adequate access for pedestrians.
“The outcome that is there at the moment is not what we expected,” Mr Siviour said.
“So we’re going to go to our local member and see what assistance he can provide us.
“If we go back and look at the Bookmark Creek Bridge prior to the upgrade, it did have a walkway right across the creek.
“What we currently have doesn’t deliver that, and essentially that’s what council is after. So we’ll push it back to where the funding originated from.”
Councillors voted to support the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle footbridge at the location.
Mr Siviour said council looked to the current Kingston-On-Murray bridge as an example of what was desired at Bookmark Creek.
“That’s similar to what we had previously,” he said.
“What they have at Kingston now appears to be quite suitable, and that’s the same level of service we want for our community.”