By Neighbourhood Forum 1 convenor Warwick Erwin
Otford residents gathered at Otford Road causeway for pizza and gelato to celebrate the unofficial opening of the temporary pedestrian crossing over the Hacking River on Sunday afternoon, April 2.
The causeway was destroyed in the 9 February storm and is to be replaced by a totally new causeway with larger water-flow capacity under the roadway, as Wollongong City Council’s Lord Mayor and staff explained to the Neighbourhood Forum 1 meeting in March.
The lack of a safe crossing of the river since February as meant that Otford Public School students living on the western side of the river have had a longer journey via Helensburgh and Stanwell Tops to and from school each day. Residents are worried about bushfire evacuation and emergency services access – two of many concerns that were raised at Otford residents meetings organised by Neighbourhood Forum 1.
Those concerns were presented to the Lord Mayor, councillors and council staff at the March meeting. Council has committed to addressing the issues raised over the closure of the causeway, including potholes on Otford Rd (Bald Hill to railway bridge) and speeding down Otford Rd, with residents asking for a temporary 40km per hour speed limit on Otford Rd until the new causeway is open.
The Pizza at the Causeway event was well attended by Otford residents with pizzas delivered from Gallardo’s Pizzeria in Helensburgh. The owner of Gallardo's is an Otford resident who has been impacted by the causeway closure – until Council created the pedestrian crossing, all deliveries to Otford have been a long trip via Bald Hill.
On Sunday afternoon, the pizzas for the night arrived on the western side of the causeway and were carried across the temporary pedestrian causeway, arriving nice and hot.
Otford residents were also surprised by the Gelato Man, Massimo Bernardini, who turned up with one of his carts with free gelato for residents – this was sponsored by my business, Stanwell Tops Technical Services, which has many customers in Otford.
The temporary pedestrian causeway is now open for daylight crossing of the Hacking River.
