A bridge closure has left a Glen Oak couple all but stranded on their rural property while the Department of Lands and Port Stephens Council negotiate a solution.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The bridge is at the end of a 300 metre section of Crown road the council, in good will, has graded and maintained over the years.
It was during recent maintenance on the road that council discovered the bridge – also on crown land – was at risk of collapse, riddled with rust.
In the three months since, Jim and Gina Sherritt have been forced to cut across muddy paddocks in their four-wheel-drive to do the groceries and attend medical appointments.
"My concern is if we have a fire, how the RFS is going to get to us, or if Gina needs an ambulance, they're not going to reach us," Mr Sherritt said.
Mrs Sherritt has Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, which affects the spinal chord.
While she remains a tireless volunteer on the Glen Oak Reserve Trust and Raymond Terrace Cricket Club, the rare hereditary condition means Mrs Sherritt depends on her wheelchair.
"Our home is set up where I can drive straight into the house yard, without opening gates, and under the car port and use the ramp," Mrs Sherritt said.
"It's a lot more difficult driving across boggy paddocks with sheep and goats in them."
An occupational therapist had worked with Mrs Sherritt on a weekly basis at the family home.
"I picked the OT up at the bridge on the quad bike, the first time," Mr Sherritt said.
"She wasn't allowed to come back a second time, they said it was too dangerous."
The bridge is the only legal access to the Sherritt’s family home, where they raised their two boys.
The house was renovated for disability access six years ago – the whole time clueless the bridge was not load rated.
Mr Sherritt believed previous owners had built the concrete and steel bridge in the 70s under similar circumstances to theirs. Pieces of a crumbled World War II era timber bridge remain in the gully below.
The Sherritts had a meeting with the Department of Industry – Lands and Forestry, after the closure.
"It's a public road but they wanted us to fix it ourselves," Mr Sherritt said.
"They said you can either fund your own bridge or buy the land at market value and build your own bridge. We're told the process can take up to three years."
A spokesman for the Department of Lands told Fairfax it was committed to working with council though he declined to say how long that might take.
Mr Sherritt also met with the mayor Bruce MacKenzie and council staff after the closure. The matter was raised at last week's Port Stephens Council meeting.
While there's been no estimate on cost Cr MacKenzie said it was negligible, to ensure two rate payers were looked after.
"It's not going to cost a lot of money," he said.
"It's a couple of RSJs [steel girders] and some decking."
The council resolved to ask Department of Industry to transfer ownership by way of gazette.
"We're very grateful," Mrs Sherritt said.
"We're just hopeful that council and crown lands can come to an agreement quickly.
"We can barely get across the paddocks they’re that soggy at the moment."
While the bridge has been deemed to be an illegal construction a spokesman for the Department said he was hopeful the matter would be resolved.
“The Department of Industry – Lands is continuing to work with Port Stephens Council to ensure access to the Sherritt's property is maintained,” he said.
Storks Road is six kilometres past the township of Seaham.
The council’s staff have yet to cost a replacement but will consider a bridge of traditional pipe construction. Lands staff told the council the department had “no expertise” with roads.