No bridging the gap: Nelson Bay businesses fear for foot traffic sales without return of Victoria Parade bridge

Port Stephens Council's assets section manager John Maretich said structural defects had been found in the skybridge, that for the past 30 years has connected Apex Park to the town centre via the Nelson Towers, and repair costs were "excessive".

"The planned inspection and maintenance check of the Victoria Parade footbridge has been carried out," Mr Maretich said.

"The inspections found structural defects in the concrete bridge, the stairs and support structures. Indicative costs for repairs are excessive and will not repair the bridge to [an] as new condition or extend the life of the bridge."

Three businesses operating in Nelson Towers and the town centre told the Examiner since the bridge was removed on April 27, patronage had been down, some by at least two thirds, compared to past years.

"Having it gone has made a huge difference to us," Amy Olatunde, manager of The Lingerie Shop in Nelson Towers, said. "It has been very, very quiet since it was removed."

The Lingerie Shop, owned by Mrs Olatunde's mother Judy Calder, has been operating in Nelson Towers for 18 years.

Mrs Olatunde said access had been an issue since the bridge was removed by the council for an inspection and maintenance check.

She said the only other access ramp to the street level was at the far end of Nelson Towers and was hard for mobility aids and prams to navigate as it has tight turns.

The other issue was having to send customers needing to use a restroom the long way to Apex Park, through traffic, as the convenience of the footbridge was no longer an option.

"The closure of the Westpac and St George banks hasn't helped," Ms Olatunde said. "There is less foot traffic in the Bay because people aren't coming into town to go to the bank and then running errands or having a look in shops. But now there's even less with the bridge gone. I'd happily have it back."

The pedestrian bridge, constructed in 1988, and support structure was removed for the first time ever for an engineering inspection in the middle of the night on April 27.

The works were scheduled based on a previous engineering assessment, which identified the need for further testing.

In April, the council said it anticipated once maintenance works on the bridge had been completed, it would be "transported and lifted back onto the support structure".

The project was expected to be completed by the end of August.

Now the business community has been asked by the council to provide feedback on parking and pedestrian changes in the Nelson Bay town centre, including how the removal of the footbridge has affected them.

While an employee of the Nothing Over $22 clothing store, which operates next to The Lingerie Shop in Nelson Towers, confirmed to the Examiner that it had received a fact sheet on the changes, Mrs Olatunde said she had not and knew others who had also not received it.

Mr Maretich said fact sheets and survey information - to provide feedback on proposed changes - have been delivered to businesses in Nelson Bay in the past week.

"Any business that didn't receive direct notification is able to take part in the survey," he said.

"The Nelson Bay Public Domain Plan recommends that the bridge be removed and with the temporary removal over the last few months we are taking the opportunity to test what positive or negative.

"Impacts may have occurred to local business. Feedback will help inform the future direction for the Victoria Parade footbridge.

"As part of this engagement we are also seeking business and resident feedback on the extension of Smart Parking into Laman Street and Fly Point."

The council is investigating the extension of paid parking into Laman Street and Fly Point.

Changes are also being made parking in the Nelson Bay CBD with the council's lease on the carpark on the corner of Donald and Yacaaba streets ending.

Sydney-based Rock Form Group purchased the site and is set to build a nine-storey apartment and commercial premises worth an estimated $35 million.

The Nelson Bay parking and pedestrian survey can be found at pscouncil.info/NBsurvey.

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