Flood-damaged Duke of Wellington Bridge could cost $2.5 million to repair

The Duke of Wellington Bridge has been out-of-action since last year's extreme flooding events ate away at the riverbank on its approach, causing stretches of the road to collapse into the river.

The report - prepared by council with advice from the Soil Conservation Society - was tabled at the February 23 council meeting and outlined options for action at the Duke of Wellington Bridge site.

Options included leaving the bridge in place without stabilisation works, decommissioning the bridge to undertake bank stabilisation works and either removing or retaining the structure or reinstating the bridge after a structural assessment, bank stabilisation works and road works are completed.

Following a meeting with council's Chief Executive Officer and Director Infrastructure a decision was made to investigate either decommissioning and removing the bridge or carrying out works to reinstate it, with an estimated cost of $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

But questions remain as to whether more could have been done to avoid the extensive damage and the hefty price tag involved with repairs, for which no funds have been set aside yet.

In Thursday's meeting, councillor Josh Black questioned whether work being carried out following a 2018 erosion study might have been enough to prevent the current situation where the bridge risked being decommissioned.

In response, council's CEO Murray Wood and Dubbo Regional Council Manager of Recreation and Open Space Ian McAlister said it was a "big unknown".

"The report identified means of trying to reduce erosion. With the level of flooding that we had I would think that the level of erosion that occurred was more extensive than was projected," Mr McAlister said.

In 2018, council commissioned a report from the Soil Conservation Society which identified 16 high priority and 16 moderate priority areas that were in need of damage control - the area around the Duke of Wellington Bridge was identified as a top priority.

Options for action outlined in the report included monitoring the situation, decommissioning the bridge, relocating the bridge further upstream and undertaking "substantial" bank stabilisation works.

No work has been undertaken at the site in the years following.

Asked by Cr Black if it was known what advice had been given to councillors and staff at the time as to whether measures to mitigate erosion at the site should be undertaken, Mr Wood said there was a workshop held but "there is no record" of what advice was given.

Mr McAlister, who was at the meeting, confirmed there was "some discussion about how to progress" but he was not aware of a path forward being decided on.

However - given the short window between the recommendations being made and the flooding events which exacerbated the rate of erosion - deputy mayor Richard Ivey said council may have dodged a budgeting bullet by not starting work.

"In retrospect it's just as well nothing did happen after this workshop," he said.

"Say at that workshop the recommendation had been to commence some work, by the time the design went out and by the time the design was completed and by the time the work had started, it would have been the time when the first flood in 2019 came through.

"And any work that had been done and not finished - which it wouldn't have been before the big flood - would have been a complete waste of money."

Dubbo Regional Council will now undertake an analysis of works for the bridge with another report outlining the recommended actions to be provided back to council.

Works for the design and construction of an eastern entry and exit roadway to the Pioneer Park area will also be undertaken.

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