Two Lake Cathie community groups have reiterated their support in a push for Kenwood Drive bridge concept designs.
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Revive Lake Cathie and Saving Lake Cathie will know more after a further report is presented on the issue at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's September meeting.
The report is set to outline the process and costs involved in reviewing the findings of a 2011 hydrodynamic model report and developing a program for the replacement or augmentation of Kenwood Drive bridge.
All councillors voted in support of a motion, put forward by mayor Peta Pinson in June, for the general manager to give consideration to the development of concept designs for the bridge as part of council's 2020-2021 operational plan.
But a recommendation in the July council meeting agenda proposed the council review the prioritisation of the bridge widening.
Councillors at the July meeting unanimously requested the general manager provide a further report to the September council meeting on the Kenwood Drive bridge matter.
Saving Lake Cathie's Stewart Cooper said the group supports going ahead with concept designs for Kenwood Drive bridge and the comments by mayor Peta Pinson and deputy mayor Lisa Intemann at the July council meeting.
He said the group, however, found it incredible that the July 15 motion had effectively deferred a decision on this for another two months.
"In July 2011 on the basis of this hydrodynamic report, council passed a motion that Kenwood Drive bridge be widened as part of any future asset upgrade or replacement works - so why are we re-investigating this report?"
Mr Cooper said over the past 40 years there had been several other reports which all stated that Kenwood Drive bridge needed to be lengthened by at least four times its current length.
He said further investigation into the 2011 hydrodynamic modelling report seemed pointless, it did not address the two issues raised by council officers in their report - funding and resources.
"Unfortunately since all of these reports were written, DAs have been approved for the southern and western ends of Lake Cathie which will see these areas fully developed with all of the storm water being pushed back into Lake Cathie," Mr Cooper said.
He said the 2019 acid sulphate soil report has identified significant acid sulphate soil issues within Lake Cathie and the current iron floc issue was a direct result.
Revive Lake Cathie president Danielle Maltman said Revive Lake Cathie thanked mayor Peta Pinson for her nomination to request the general manager provide a further report to the September council meeting.
Revive Lake Cathie made a submission to the council's July meeting agenda item.
The group sought for the councillors to request the general manager write to Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams in seeking funds for Kenwood Drive bridge concept designs.
It called for a unanimously vote for prioritisation of funding in the 2020-2021 operational plan to accommodate the concept design works or alternatively seek funding from the Strategic Priorities Reserve fund.
Revive Lake Cathie also sought for the council to undertake urgent community consultation on this project and requested the convening of another identified lake stakeholder meeting to include Coast, Estuary and Floodplain Committee members.
"Sadly no action is the commonality of the 25 years of reports that council references in this recommendation," Mrs Maltman said.
"These reports are redundant and not reflective of the current condition. It is poignant to note that the current state of our lake through inaction, was predicted by Colin Creighton in 1983."
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