Bridges over troubled waters (Dec 2025 edition)

Sean Hefferon
TOODYAY faces a growing infrastructure crisis as the Shire Council struggles to maintain and replace ageing bridges, impacting residents and straining the local budget.

The closure of Slaughterhouse Bridge last month at short notice has highlighted the urgent need for action, while concerns mount over the condition of Dumbarton Bridge and the recent vandalism-related closure of the Newcastle Park footbridge.

Slaughterhouse Bridge, built in 1937 and spanning Toodyay Brook, was the subject of a Main Roads WA report in 2021.

The report revealed the “significant deterioration in the timber elements of the support structure,” and emergency repairs, including acrow props and steel bands, were undertaken in 2023, but the bridge’s condition continued to decline.

Council acknowledged the need to replace Slaughterhouse Bridge as far back as May 2024, however, new funding guidelines from July 2024 require the shire to cover 20% of the bridge replacement costs, with the remaining 80% sourced from State or Federal government grants.