Bob Mancor, Newstead
The old saying about living on the wrong side of the tracks is very true in Newstead, except in our case it is living on the wrong side (western) of the Loddon River. We get treated like second-class citizens and our requests for simple improvements come answered by ‘any excuse will do’ replies.
Firstly, we have been trying to get a small toilet block in Memorial Park which also has a barbecue area and children’s playground, and where Anzac Day is commemorated every year. This park is also frequently used by people travelling through. A local got a petition going, received many signatures and sent it to the shire. The answer the shire gave was that there was no money until 2021. But there is going to be plenty of money spent on the other side of the river. The council’s excuse has not gone down at all well with the locals.
The second important issue is about a pedestrian safety rail being installed on the bridge crossing the Loddon to separate pedestrians from the traffic. The best VicRoads could come up with is that it wouldn’t be wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass each other. Maybe they haven’t noticed the many one-way road bridges around south eastern rural Australia, including at least one in Castlemaine where cars have to give way for oncoming cars. And everyone else crossing the Loddon is put at risk for the sake of two wheelchairs that might one day want to cross at the same time.
For a state government and shire council that think they are very progressive, I find them to be a total bloody joke. On a good note, our local state representative Maree Edwards’ office has been very good with keeping us informed regarding the bridge.
