Building Bridges

My little town Waratah has been building bridges, water races, water wheels, tramways and walking tracks for generations.

Now is the time to build a real connection between history, wilderness, community and the Waratah-Wynyard Council.

During 2021 and early Covid isolation a community group conceived the Waratah Loop. You can read about it in this article: The Waratah Loop – Tasmanian Times.

It seems that we failed to connect with either the Waratah-Wynyard Council or the then Gutwein government and its continuation under Jeremy Rockliff. Yes, apparently even one of our members for Braddon being Premier – and it’s been a while since that happened, about a quarter of a century – shifted the dial from Nup to Yeah Maybe Tell Me More.

However, some of the community created a first linkage  as shown in this YouTube memory:

I have continued to seek cooperation with the council but they have persistently rejected such. They suggest it was not in the ‘Community Plan’. Well, clearly they are  not listening to the community or the numerous walking groups and tourists who rate the loop now highly.

Now, that community-constructed linkage has collapsed (see photo below) the time has come for Yoda – my grandkids’ nickname for this old grey fart – to be understood and action to be taken.  The fourth of May it is!

The council must start dialogue with relevant stake holders/land owners. These include Forestry Tasmania (so-called STT), the Tasmanian Government, the Parks and Wildlife Service, Bluestone, and local businesses.

Together they can formulate a suitable – and buildable with local suppliers – rehabilitation concept that meets all safety, legal, financial and insurance aspects of this fascinating heritage reinvigoration.

As Yoda would say:

“Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you, it will.”

May the council, this understand.

May the newly-reelected Member of the Legislative Council for Murchison, Ruth Forrest, this worthwhile project get stuck into.