A Bridge Too Far

AN 81 year old resident is standing her ground against Council after works on Middlebrook Road turned sour.

Elaine Herden and her daughter Kylie live on property near the Middlebrook Bridge and were at their wits’ end when they phoned Councillor Lee Watts to ask for her help in protecting their land during Council’s construction of the new bridge.

“They (Council employees) were caught one day walking around our place and they never had permission, so they surveyed it without our permission,” said Kylie Herden.

“Mum got angry with them about it and they said it was fine because they got the measurements they needed, but we said ‘yes you were trespassing’!

Council have dug so close to the fenceline the Herden’s doubt their new fence will stay standing.

“They’ve taken all the soil off one side of the road and they’re right up against our boundary fence, so they are actually taking away the strength of the fence and weakening it and it will fall over way before its time,” she said.

“As well they want to drain all the water through our place, when they have the creek they can go to.

“They have spoken to us, but they railroad you, you don’t get the chance to say anything, they will just go and do what they like.

“I was home during the week and found them on the land again after they were told not to set foot on the place.

Cr Watts escalated their concerns, so Mayor Wayne Bedggood and Council employees met with the Herden’s to try to resolve the issues.

Elaine Herden said she felt the Mayor made some concessions, but a letter which followed from Council left her feeling disillusioned.

“We don’t want gravel put back there (along the fence line), we want the soil put back because you can’t drive fence posts into gravel,” said Ms Herden.

“It’s just a new fence,” she said.

“And what is wrong with digging their trench a metre away and sending the water to the creek?

“They said it was the cost, but look at the amount of money they spend on everything else,” she said.

“We are going to have to get a dozer ourselves and doze up a bank on the inside to stop water coming through,” Elaine Herden said.