The 136-year-old, 342 metre “iconic” structure is often seen as the gateway to Nowra.

Completed in 1881, it is the only example of a American pin-jointed Whipple truss bridge in service in NSW.

Mrs Sudmalis made the announcement during last weekend’s Shoalhaven River Festival but questions remain about who will fund its ongoing maintenance.

RMS documents reveal keeping the structure would cost between $15-$25 million to fix a variety of problems with the bridge and then a further maintenance cost of around $15m over 50 years or $300,000 a year.

To relocate or remove the structure is estimated to cost between $10-$20 million.

Despite making the announcement Mrs Sudmalis said the question of bridge maintenance funding was “not her issue”.

Privately, its is known state members are seething that any announcement was made, especially as the bridge is a state asset and as the South Coast Register understands nothing had officially been agreed to over the structure’s future.

Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley said if the bridge was retained and handed back to the city, it would come under the local road network, meaning maintenance costs would fall to council.

Although welcoming the announcement, saying she could see the old bridge being “a great asset”  and “like many people would like to see it stay”,  Cr Findley asked where the maintenance funding would come from.

Numerous studies and public consultation over the bridge project have been conducted over the years.

In 2015 the NSW Government’s Roads and Maritime Services Nowra Bridge Project consultation summary revealed of 720 submissions received 80 argued the old Nowra Bridge should be removed.

RMS received 38 individual submissions, 676 online survey responses and six Facebook suggestions, capturing what people thought should happen to the old Nowra bridge and why, as well as how it could be used or remembered in the future.

Read More: Fight to save Nowra bridge

Of the 720 submissions received, 540 indicated the old Nowra bridge should be retained, 80 indicated the old bridge should be removed. 69 indicated the old bridge should be relocated, 31 indicated they had no opinion either way.

The main reason for keeping the bridge was for historical and heritage reasons with the most popular suggestion if the bridge was retained to be used for tourism, as a community space or cycle/walk way.

Of the 80 submissions to remove the bridge, 70 provided comments as to why, with more than half suggesting the cost of other options for the bridge were too high.

Read More: Is this the future of the old Nowra bridge?

So the debate about the old Nowra bridge’s future continues.

Despite the Gilmore MP saying the bridge would be retained, nothing has been officially signed off on, specifically by the state government which owns the asset.

The question of funding the bridge’s upkeep and maintenance if retained is also far from decided.

Read more: Comment – You need to look this gifthorse in the mouth

Should it be a federal issue?

Mrs Sudmalis seems to have washed her hands of that option.

Is it up to the state government, as it is after all their asset?

Or if the bridge is signed back over to Shoalhaven City Council and absorbed into the local road network should council and in turn local ratepayers be laboured with the $300,000 a year financial burden?

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