Shire wants slack cut for bridge

Shire of Denmark chief executive Bill Parker has conceded the Shire will not meet its March 31 deadline associated with $7.6 million of State Government funding for the controversial Denmark East Development Precinct Project.

However, Mr Parker is hopeful the new Labor Government will allow flexibility in the milestones of the Financial Assistance Agreement. The DEDPP is a $14 million project that comprises the construction of a light industrial area east of Denmark along with connector roads and a second bridge across the Denmark River.

The Shire council remains undecided on a crossing point for the new bridge, with a five-hour meeting in January ending with no result.

The FAA requires a crossing point to have been chosen, with relevant permits in place, by March 31 but Mr Parker said this would not be achieved.

“We won't meet the deadline,” he said

“Although the project continues to move forward, we won’t have everything in place by March 31.”

Mr Parker said he had been in contact with South West Region MLC Sally Talbot regarding the project.

“There will be correspondence going from the Shire to the department in advance of that deadline requesting flexibility in the agreement,” he said

“I have been in regular contact with Dr Talbot.

“Dr Talbot is providing tremendous support to the Shire.

“She is very keen to work with us, so we’ll keep pursuing that.”

Mr Parker said he expected a response before the March 31 deadline. “I’ve already sent through a briefing note to Dr Talbot, who is hopefully meeting with the minister for regional development in the next couple of days to talk about where we would like to go and we’ll go from there,” he said.

Dr Talbot could not be contacted for comment.

A date has not been set for the council to decide the location of the new bridge because options are being re-costed.