A GROUP of Brimbank residents is disappointed that it’s not being given enough input into the design of a new footbridge linking Sunshine and Albion.
Friends of the HV McKay Gardens president Catherine McDonald claimed the Transport Department had made little effort to consult the community on the bridge design.
“What they consider consultation is them coming out and telling us what they are going to do,” she said.
As part of Regional Rail Link works, a new bridge will replace a heritage-listed footbridge which has a historical link between the Harvester housing estate and the Harvester Factory.
It contains fabric from circa 1920. The group wants the new bridge to include design features connected to the site’s history.
But Regional Rail Link Footscray-Deer Park team spokeswoman Megan Cusack said the authority had consulted with several community groups in preparing plans.
“The team held a workshop in February with stakeholders with a keen interest in the legacy of HV McKay, with attendees including representatives from Brimbank Council, Friends of HV McKay Gardens and Sunshine Historical Society,” she said.
“Stakeholders attending this workshop were given an insight into the design development process and the need to remove the bridge.
”They were also invited to provide feedback on how the rich legacy of Sunshine and HV McKay could be incorporated into the design of the bridge while also meeting the design specifications for a bridge over the rail line.”
Ms Cusack said the authority recently met with groups and the council to discuss plans for the grade separation at Anderson Road and again sought feedback on the design of the new HV McKay bridge.
“The Footscray-Deer Park project team is now further exploring a number of these recommendations and has agreed to present an updated design of the bridge to council and members of this group in mid-June.”
Council general manager of infrastructure and environment Paul Younis said the bridge design had to be respectful to the heritage of the gardens and the role the bridge played in linking workers to the Sunshine Harvester Factory.
“The existing pedestrian bridge needs to be removed as it doesn’t conform to current standards in relation to clearance heights for future double-stacked freight trains,” he said.
