Froomes Road bridge to stay, Mount Alexander Shire council decides

Mount Alexander Shire councillors voted on Tuesday to keep the bridge spanning Barkers Creek at Froomes Road, behind the botanical gardens.

It was the latest twist in a long running saga over a bridge that dates back to 1873 but has come under risk of demolition as it ages.

Councillors earlier this year rescinded a plan to demolish and replace the bridge after a community outcry.

They have now dismissed a new suggestion from council officers to knock down and replace the single lane bridge with a two lane structure "sympathetic" to the original.

That was because the bridge's age brought significant risks of unknown problems and no guarantees long-term fixes would be cost-effective, they said.

Any fix would be unlikely to completely meet Australian standard guidelines, council officers warned.

That did not deter councillors voting to refurbish and strengthen the bridge.

Cr Matthew Driscoll acknowledged the bridge might not be as compliant with guidelines as a new two-lane replacement, but said it would be acceptable.

"I don't know too many people that are compliant all the time," he said.

The council would not simply be liable just because someone claimed the bridge's defective design caused an injury, loss or damage, lawyers had previously told the council.

There would need to be another factor to sway a court.

Still, lawyers noted the council risked being held liable if it could not demonstrate it took reasonable steps to reduce the risk of accidents.

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Cr Tony Cordy said the coming rehabilitation would require lots of changes to the bridge along with traffic calming measures on nearby roads.

But "the nature of the operations of the bridge will go pretty much unchanged," he said.

Multiple councillors justified voting against council officer recommendations by citing consultations this year which found four fifths of those asked wanted the bridge kept and strengthened to handle modern day traffic demands.

It was the same reason they voted down Cr Bill Maltby's motion earlier in the evening to close the bridge to everything but pedestrians, cyclists and the occasional horse rider.

"Unlike some councillors, I am actually listening to people," Cr Driscoll said.

"It's clear in my mind that people want to rehabilitate and strengthen the bridge."

Heritage experts previously told the council the bridge had been heavily modified over its 150-odd years of existence.

The only original parts of the bridge were stone abutments, they said.

The bride might not be worthy of local heritage listing but multiple councillors said that misses the point.

Cr Driscoll compared the bridge to his grandfather's MG motor car. It was still a historic vehicle even if its parts had been changed or modified over the years.

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