Council & Business
6 February, 2023
Council deliberates Lexton footbridge removal
The Pyrenees Shire Council is calling for feedback on whether it should remove a footbridge in Lexton, after a petition calling for flood mitigation works be undertaken in the town. At its ordinary meeting in December, council noted it had received...
The Pyrenees Shire Council is calling for feedback on whether it should remove a footbridge in Lexton, after a petition calling for flood mitigation works be undertaken in the town.
At its ordinary meeting in December, council noted it had received a petition from residents of Lexton as a request for action relating to flooding in the township, including the Burnbank Creek, in October.
The petition contained 68 signatures and was accompanied with a request for appropriate action to be taken to minimise the flooding of Lexton.
The petition stated severe flooding had left “homes and sheds inundated, fences knocked down, crops and pastures destroyed or damaged, roads damaged and debris wide spread”.
“The conditions of the Burnbank Creek and other creeks in our area has deteriorated over the past three decades with dense vegetation growth, silt build up and timber inundating the water ways, causing severe flooding during heavy and extreme rainfall,” the petition reads.
As a result of the petition, council resolved to prioritise a funding application for a detailed flood study of Lexton and investigate and implement flood mitigation actions.
One of those actions is the removal of the footbridge that crosses Burnbank Creek between Anderson Street and the Sunraysia Highway, about 50 metres north west of Lexton’s post office.
According to council, the removal of the bridge may help to keep the waterway clear and mitigate future flood events, as during the recent flood debris became trapped on the bridge.
The bridge was built in 1990 to replace an older bridge however since then, Lexton’s town layout has changed meaning the bridge sees limited use.
Council is currently calling for community input into whether the bridge should be removed or stay before any decision is made, with submissions open until Friday, February 17.
To provide input, head to engage.pyrenees.vic.gov.au/lexton-footbridge and fill out the poll, or call council on 1300 797 363.