March 13, 2017
It was a case of third time lucky on Sunday afternoon when friends and supporters of South Burnett Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff held an official opening for the recently renamed Kathy Duff Bridge at Silverleaf.
About 35 of Cr Duff’s relatives, friends, local farmers and representatives from Murgon, Kingaroy and Nanango business groups gathered under a marquee set up beside Campbell’s Road to toast the bridge with wine and beer over a relaxed afternoon tea.
The event was compered by Murgon Business and Development Association president Leo Geraghty, who has a farming property himself.
Leo said the opening ceremony had originally been planned for two other dates but schedule conflicts had forced its postponement until after Saturday’s Proston Show had run its course.
The reason? Cr Duff is a cattle steward at the Show, and she was tied up on Friday and Saturday.
Leo told the group that when the former Campbell’s Road bridge had been closed by the Council because it was considered unsafe, local farmers who used it were forced to take a long detour to move equipment from one side of Barambah Creek to the other.
This caused them a lot of hardship and made even everyday tasks like going to the shops more difficult.
Initially, the Council had considered not replacing the bridge at all, citing costs as high as $2 million.
But through dogged determination, Cr Duff had managed to get a brand new concrete bridge built less than 18 months later.
Former Councillor Barry Green, who had worked with Cr Duff when she was agitating for the new bridge, praised her single-mindedness.
“Kathy went out and found the Council could buy and install a Bailey bridge for about 20 per cent of what the engineers were saying a concrete bridge would cost,” Barry said.
“And when the Council put this bridge and two others out to tender as a single package, the contractors got wind of what they were competing against and we wound up getting three bridges for the price of two.”
Mayor Keith Campbell said he agreed with Barry Green, and added he thought it was important agriculture was supported by good infrastructure.
“We are an agricultural area after all, and agriculture contributes a significant amount to our region’s economy.”
Cr Duff said she had been floored when she discovered local farmers had secretly petitioned the Council to have the bridge named in her honour.
“You usually have to retire or die to have anything named after you, and it’s a rare day when anything is named after a girl. So I am really humbled.”
But she said she agreed with the Mayor’s remarks.
“In 30 or 40 years no one will know who Kathy Duff was,” she said. “But this bridge will still be here helping our farmers do their work.
“I think that’s a victory for agriculture, and I hope there’ll always be people who’ll go into bat for our farmers.”
After the speeches were over, Cr Duff unveiled one of the new bridge signs erected on both approaches a fortnight ago, then stayed to thank everyone who had come out in the hot afternoon to witness the occasion.
- Related article: Bridge Gets A New Name
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