MARGARET Cornell looks to the steel and bolts of the bridge that spans the Manning River.
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As she reaches to touch the peeling paint and corrosion that scars the Martin Bridge it moves under her feet as the force of moving cars and trucks is felt on the pedestrian walkway.
Margaret laughs when she says they both have seen "more than three scores years and 10" and reveals that in May the Martin Bridge will mark 75 years. The recent discovery of the milestone came when looking through papers belonging to her father, Allan Bell who served the community as an alderman on Manning Shire Council. The vintage invitation called for Alderman Bell to attend the official opening of the bridge by the Hon Alexander Mair MLA, Premier of NSW on May 17 1940.
Margaret says she was delighted by the discovery and felt compelled to use it as a catalyst for a community and political discussion about the need for State government funds to maintain the bridge. Her interest in the politics of funding was piqued on December 31 after the reading the 'My Shout' column by journalist, Mick McDonald, who described the bridge's state as embarrassing.
"I wholeheartedly agree with Mick," Margaret said.
"It is our main entrance and the first impression that people get of our bridge is that it has been neglected - very much so."
Margaret says she knows it's not a simple fix or a cheap fix but says, "that should not be the reason that nothing is done to maintain the appearance of our bridge."
"It's very much the same as your own home. If you don't do the maintenance as it comes due, instead of being a little amount now, it's going to cost you a small fortune later.
"It is a massive job - I understand that - but if it isn't maintained then there are only two options for our bridge. It either has to be replaced at a much higher cost, or everyone is going to have to go out through Cundletown to get access to go south or north - or are we going to go back to putting a punt on?"
Margaret says there is inequity in how State government funds are distributed and contends "it has to be balanced".
More than two decades ago NSW won its bid to host the Olympics in 2000 and with the announcement of the sporting coup, Margaret says the funding of infrastructure in country areas took a hit.
"Most of us in the country realised that when the Olympics came to Sydney that all the money for grants and infrastructure would not be coming our way as it had to be spent in Sydney. Now they did a marvellous job, but now, very little has come back to the country since then - they are still putting our money in freeways and tunnels - we seem to be getting very little for infrastructure, repairs and maintenance," Margaret said.
"You can't keep giving out without getting something back in, it has to be balanced. One area of the State cannot get it all the time - it must be shared and right now, we are missing out."
Margaret says "alarm bells began to ring" when she read about the proposed duplication of the Dawson River Bridge at Cundletown as part of the proposed Northern Gateway project.
"When there is talk of this big transport and industrial hub for Cundletown, and another bridge going over the Dawson River, it does make me wonder what is going to happen to the Martin Bridge and our southern access to Taree," Margaret said.
"Is it going to be closed? Is it going to be allowed to deteriorate and fall down? Are we going to go back to a punt?"
Margaret says they are a few of the questions that need to be considered by the community as the Martin Bridge sets to mark its 75th year spanning the Manning River.
The Manning River Times on January 12 sought comment from member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead about State government funding of Roads and Maritime Services works to maintain, repair and paint the Martin Bridge. We also sought advice from Mr Bromhead about his position on the need for, and priority of works for future maintenance, and if there is a strategy in relation to the on going maintenance of the bridge.
At the time of going to print, no response from Mr Bromhead had been received by The Manning River Times.