New bridge for Oallen Forde NSW

[backcreek]

Hay Greg,
They have revised the road closure times as follows.

The new bridge will be located 20m upstream of the existing timber bridge on the Windellama bank and 6m upstream of the causeway on the Nerriga bank, which has allowed the road closure period to be reduced from 12 weeks down to 4 weeks.

Minor traffic disruptions will occur from early August to early/mid
October 2014 after which the road will be closed for 4 weeks.

 

[Greglz86]

I'd be going up there with a carton of beer to have a yack with the guys doing the earth moving......... Never know, they might leave a nice pile of dirt to play with.

I think a few of the fellas here are thinking of doing the same thing

 

[Tige]

Cant believe u hav plans for bridge lol !!
I bet there has never been this much interest in building a bridge before. ..
Would not b supprized if I hear about someone getting hurt trying to get a sample from excavator bucket while in use :lol:

 

[willo1]

I'm heading up there either Thursday or Friday to have a look and get some dirt to play with in the garage.

 

[dav]

Hmm, will have to remember that area for the next time iam down that way

 

[bazza2210]

Hi All,

Found this article today - I hope that this does not affect fossicking at Oallen in the future

Council halts work on Oallen Ford Bridge

Goulburn Mulwaree Council General Manager Warwick Bennett is halting work on the replacement of the Oallen Ford Bridge after he discovered the proposed bridge was not on the Road Reserve and that important negotiations with Aboriginal Lands Councils had not been completed as part of the project.

Mr Bennett said he was left with no option but to suspend the work, following his discovery that the land on which the proposed bridge was to be located on both sides of the Shoalhaven River, is subject to an Aboriginal land claim.

My review of the project has revealed that the land on which we were planning this new bridge and access way was not on Councils Road Reserve and for making these basic errors I apologise to the Council and the community, Mr Bennett said.

He said Council would undertake consultation with the affected groups, including the Pejar and Ulladulla Local Aboriginal Lands Council as well as the NSW Aboriginal Lands Council.

Upon review of the project, I have discovered that we have not done our investigations properly and I apologise to the affected community, Mr Bennett said.

Mr Bennett said a positive coming out of the discovery was that it was made before any construction work had begun on site.

No construction work has begun on site. We have caught this in time to remedy the situation and will now begin to either negotiate with the affected groups, or redesign the process within the existing road reserve, he said.

It would have been much worse to have made this discovery when half the bridge was built across the river, but unfortunately this discovery will now delay the project. The bottom line is that we should have found this out three years ago in the early stages of the planning.

Mr Bennett said a briefing was held with all Councillors at 5pm last night to discuss the full ramifications of the discovery.

Councillors were fully informed of the situation last night during a briefing, he said.

The two options that we need to investigate will include keeping it all within the existing Road Reserve boundary, or the other option would be that we remain on the proposed alignment and we negotiate with all Land Councils and other key stakeholders.

Construction on the bridge was due to commence this week. I have put a delay on that process and I will keep the community informed as to when this project is likely to commence but it is unlikely it will commence this calendar year.

 

[pjg100]

Now it is a waiting game.

 

[shivan]

Hmmm does this mean no more digging at the ford if it comes under native title? As you can fossick on land that has native title but you can not excavate
"Fossicking can be done on land or waters subject to native title using hand held implements, which
include picks, shovels, hammers, sieves, shakers and gold pans. However, regardless of the
implements used, no excavation is permitted."

 

[slowflow]

There is some part of that quote that is giving me difficulty.
Must mean no excavator use!!

 

[headbut]

River is nearly at 4 metres today

http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDN60234/IDN60234.068232.plt.shtml

 

[bazza2210]

mmmm fresh gold - all that water came down the mongarlowe there is another peak coming

 

[headbut]

Make that 4.25 now

 

[backcreek]

They found a scapegoat.
http://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/2489691/oallen-ford-bridge-bungle/

 

[HeadsUp]

what i find bizarre here is that the new bridge is supposed to be only 2 metres higher than the old wooden one

that means that average to peak floods will still be 1 metre higher than the new bridge ??

 

[iwishicouldfind]

I enjoy reading all comments, thanks guys, my question is when they start construction can a person play in the excavated dirt
and find his first speck of yellow stuff, is the Ford a good place to start. Thanks for any advice

 

[Paydirt]

If I'm coming to HB at Oallen (at some stage) how much hose is required, from Mudguts's video it looks like a fair distance to water. Cheers and havagoodun

 

[bazza2210]

If I'm coming to HB at Oallen (at some stage) how much hose is required, from Mudguts's video it looks like a fair distance to water. Cheers and havagoodun

The gravel bar is about 350m x 150m so it depends where one wishes to dig, mostly I highbank within 25m of the water. I have heard of folks that run out 100m of layflat to pump water.

Cheers

Barry

 

[Mudguts]

You can do it 5m from the water in places
Wal even goes in the river
It's up to you and the gear you have

 

[backcreek]

For all who were at the Oallen get together on the weekend, has the bridgework commenced?

 

[Tathradj]

No it has not.
There are a few markers as to where they were going to start.