The options are contained in a $50,000 brief for an as yet unappointed consultant.

Councillor Jack Mallon followed up his charge of a council back-flip when he pointed out that in September, 2009, the council resolved that “the Vaux St/Brougham St Link Road Option [be] discounted from further ring road investigations . . . ” in response to the option to use the streets published in the Cowra Shire Land-use Strategy document.

The apparent reversal prompted Cr Mallon to move an amendment to the motion to exclude the streets from the brief.

In speaking to his amendment at Monday night’s council meeting Cr Mallon said: “This council received so many complaints when this was proposed before and we entered a covenant with the community.

“It would be a breach of faith with the community to reinstate them.”

Councillors Peter Wright and Judi Smith supported the amendment.

Cr Wright said he believed a bypass had to be far enough away from the CBD and residential areas so that it became an alternative traffic route.

Councillor Smith said that by including the two streets council might run the risk of having them funded by a state or federal government because they would likely consider either to be the cheapest option.

A report to council, from operations director George Ridley, says “it is also important to note the economic realities of planning for large-scale infrastructure warrant consideration of any feasible road engineering solutions, which may include the Vaux/Brougham Street route(s) to the south of Cowra CBD”.

“The preparation of the Cowra Alternative Traffic Route Study may identify that the Vaux/Brougham Street route(s) to the south of Cowra CBD remains unacceptable to council,” Mr Ridley’s report says.

“However, it is considered that this route should not be excluded in the project brief.”

Cr Bruce Miller, who had moved the streets be included in the new study, in line with the operations director’s report, denied inclusion of the two streets would breach faith with the community.

He said it was just a matter of having all the options on the table to allow the consultant to give due consideration to all the options.

Cr Miller said he shared concerns raised about the two streets as there would be major disruption to residents, and safety issues as far as schools were concerned, if they were chosen.

Council intends to appoint a consultant by the end of July.

The study, including public consultation, will be completed by the end of January 2013.

The $50,000 consultant’s cost was included in council’s 2012-13 budget.

The Mayor explains:

In an exclusive interview with CCN yesterday (Tuesday), Mayor of Cowra, Bill West, explained the thinking behind the reinstatement of the two streets in the consultant’s brief to Editor, Garry Starr.

Click the PLAY icon ► on the audio panel below to hear the short interview.