Protests to greet work on bridges

Jessica Benton
PROTESTS will greet the start of controversial work on new bridges at Barwon Heads later this month, according to community groups.
Barwon Heads Association committee member Sandy Gatehouse said the community was planning “on-going protests”.
“There’s certainly lots of people who are angry and getting angrier,” she said.
“These people are very passionate about the bridge and they’re talking about ways to halt the works.”
State Government defied community opposition and an upper house disallowment motion earlier this year to push ahead with its controversial two-bridge plan for replacement of the existing bridge.
Friends of the Barwon Heads Bridge’s Bernard Napthine said the protests would reflect the community’s “detest” for the Government.
“I can’t say too much but there is some discussion about having a day of protests to express the community’s disappointment at the Government’s two-bridge plan,” he said.
“It’ll basically be a day of protest to show the Government that we may have lost but we haven’t forgotten how it’s ignored the community’s concerns.
“We don’t just want to walk away. The Government needs to be aware that, come next election, we won’t forget.”
Mr Napthine suggested a picket line to stop work was possible but said the proposed protests would be closer to a “wake” for the bridge.
“Some people are talking about picket lines but I’m not,” he said.
“It could almost be a wake where we’re commiserating the loss of beaches and the damage to the spit and the environment.”
Last month the Independent reported residents could form a picket to stop the bridge works.
Geelong Trades and Labour Council assistant secretary Rob Graauwmans said union members would “recognise the voice of the community” if residents picketed the bridge.
He said Trades Hall would not endorse union members crossing the line.
Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas announced this month that McConnell Dowell Construction had won a $40 million tender to build the new bridges.
Mr Pallas said works would start later this month on the first stage, including the new pedestrian river crossing and the reconstruction of the downstream half of the timber road bridge.
The Government expected work to be finished by the end of 2010, Mr Pallas said.