THE small community of Kindee has a population of 91 with a significant portion of the residents falling into an older demographic.
Their lifeline to medical services as well as social connection is historic Kindee Bridge.
Built in 1936, the bridge is Australia’s oldest surviving timber suspension bridge with its age and construction design necessitating regular checks and maintenance.
In December planned engineering inspections identified significant structural and load bearing capacity issues which lead to the bridge being closed without warning.
Many residents were unaware of the closure until attempting to cross the bridge.
Kindee resident Chris O’Brien told News Of The Area, “I appreciate that Council had to close the bridge for our safety.”
“…I’m happy that instead of having to detour all the way down Pipeclay Road which takes so much longer, I can now go and see the doctor and visit my friends whenever I want.”
Concerns were raised by residents about the lack of communication from Council, as well as the Pipeclay Road detour adding a substantial amount of time to their journeys into Wauchope across a poorly graded road.
On 8 January Council announced that following the provision of a specialist engineering report Kindee Bridge has been reopened to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes under strict traffic control rules.
In 2021 Port Macquarie Hastings Council engaged with the community to explore potential design options for a replacement bridge downstream.
While widespread support was expressed for this option, to date funding has not been allocated.
By Rachael THORPE
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