Thanks to everyone who took the time to complete our community survey regarding the enhancement of Hampden Bridge. We received 247 responses and the feedback has been very positive. Clearly we are all passionate about our bridge. The survey has been successful in that we have a clear indication of the thoughts of the community and can now invest time into determining what sort of things are possible.
The results of the survey are as follows:
| Question | For | Against | |
| Q1 | Would you be ‘for’ or ‘against’ having the sandstone towers and parapet walls cleaned to remove the discolouration? | 88% | 12% |
| Q2 | The lighting on the towers has recently been repaired. Would you be ‘for’ or ‘against’ having the lighting enhanced so that different colours could be projected onto the towers (for example, red and green at Christmas time)? | 60% | 40% |
| Q3 | The Hampden Bridge is a real tourist attraction for our Valley and we have all seen many photos being taken. Would you be ‘for’ or ‘against’ having images projected onto the towers during special events (for example, the Aboriginal flag during NAIDOC week or a Digger on ANZAC Day)? | 60% | 40% |
The fourth question asked “If you have any other suggestions on how the bridge could be enhanced to increase its street appeal or other ways it could attract visitors, please let us know”. We received 135 comments with a wide range of positive suggestions. There were a small number of ‘robust’ responses, which indicate that tourism might be a bit of a hot topic in the Valley! The more popular suggestions involved reviewing the signage around the bridge (in terms of simplifying it), creating safer areas for photographers and tidying up the approaches to the bridge. We will be discussing all these with the relevant authorities.
As an asset, Hampden Bridge is maintained by Transport for NSW. We will be working with them to firstly schedule the careful cleaning process. Given the age and heritage status of the bridge, specialist cleaning services will be required, and there could be a long lead time before you see any action. In parallel, we will start discussions on what lighting options are available, if any. There are a number of possible grants which may be applied for, to assist in funding any future work. We will keep you informed along the way.
If you want to stay informed of what is happening in your community, make sure you are on our mailing list – send your details (including property address, contact number and email address) to kvccb@kangaroovalley.nsw.au. Our next General Meeting is Tuesday 31 January 2023 at 6:30pm in the Kangaroo Valley Hall.
Al Lockyer
Kangaroo Valley Community Consultative Body
