“The community was not consulted in any way,” Secretary of the Upper Kangaroo River Progress Association Gary Moore said.

“The Mayor nor any councillor was aware of the staff decision, they were caught completely unawares until we alerted them.” 

“Though Council decided to demolish the bridge, there was no engineering report done recommending such action. Apparently two inspection reports were done, but despite repeated requests of council staff, the association has not been able to see them.”

Once notified of the impending demolition, the progress association immediately sprang into action, creating an online petition.

“In the first day, over 500 people signed,” Mr Moore said. 

“Many messages of outrage were posted on both the Upper River and the larger Kangaroo Valley Community Facebook pages. 

“Clearly the footbridge is important not just to Upper River residents and property owners, but to the whole Valley.”

More than 1200 people have signed the petition and a further 250 tourists to the Valley have signed copies at various locations in the village.  

Mayor Amanda Findley, Councillor Cheyne and MP Gareth Ward have all visited the suspension bridge over the last week.

“On Tuesday the association was informed there will be a report brought to council before the end of February in respect to the footbridge,” Mr Moore said.  

“The association understands the report will cover how the bridge’s life can be extended through engineered solutions that don’t cost an arm-and-a-leg, and at what point it might become unsustainable. 

“Though the association has asked, on the basis of the evidence and community sentiment, for demolition to be taken off the table, there has been no assurance of that yet.”

The Upper River Footbridge is a social, cultural and historical icon for the people of Kangaroo Valley, the Shoalhaven and the many tourists who visit.

The first swinging, suspension bridge was built in 1907-08.  It and successive footbridges on the same site were used by Upper River residents to get to and from school each day. 

“Until the Gerringong Creek Road concrete road bridge was built, it was the only way people could cross the river and get to their homes in times of flood and indeed still is,” Mr Moore said.

“When debris and water covered the concrete road bridge during the storms of June 2016, the footbridge was the only means of access for residents east of the river.

“The footbridge is six metres higher than the concrete road bridge, a critical fact not known by council staff until the association took measurements and informed them.”

Community sentiment around the footbridge was best summed up by primary school student Molly Jones, who won a photographic competition at the Kangaroo Valley Show based on the footbridge.

“I entered a photo of the Upper River suspension bridge to show people it’s part of Kangaroo Valley history and it should not be pulled down,” she said

To sign the petition visit Save the Upper River Footbridge in Kangaroo Valley www.communityrun.org/petitions/save-the-upper-river-footbridge-in-kangaroo-valley.