THE Community Action for Windsor Bridge (CAWB) group’s protest in Windsor’s Thompson Square marked its fourth year on Friday, July 21.
CAWB has peacefully protested against the Windsor Bridge Replacement Project for every minute of every day since July 21, 2013.
CAWB has fielded volunteers in its tent around the clock since the protest first started and claim about 17,500 ‘sleepless shifts’.
The organisation plans to mark the milestone by holding a protest event at Thompson Square from 5.30pm on Saturday, July 22. A total of 40,000 fairy lights will be turned on, representing the 40,000 signatures they have gathered on CAWB’s petition, and there will be guest speakers.
CAWB president Harry Terry said the organisation wanted to see a ‘commonsense’ traffic solution for the Hawkesbury region.
“We are fighting for a good outcome for everyone who crosses the bridge,” he said.
“We're fighting for good planning, we're fighting for good asset management, good planning for the future, one that respects and promotes our heritage and one that would provide a good transport solution into the future, and that is why we want a bypass.
“We're hoping commonsense will prevail and the government will see that.”
In a nutshell, CAWB does not wish to see the Windsor Bridge Replacement Project go ahead.
The Roads and Maritime Services project will see a new three-lane bridge built upstream of the current one, before the existing bridge is demolished. A major approach road will be built through Thompson Square, Australia’s oldest existing Georgian town square.
The organisation believes the project will destroy the heritage of Thompson Square and Windsor Bridge, and the replacement bridge will not solve the Hawkesbury’s traffic woes.
The organisation wants to see a Windsor bypass built, which would cross the Hawkesbury River away from Thompson Square.
Mr Terry, who has been involved with CAWB since its inception, said it was a mammoth effort to run a 24-hour protest.
“I am highly proud of the commitment and the enthusiasm and the understanding they [CAWB members] have of what a bad project this is,” he said. “We committed ourselves to run it 24/7. Tomorrow is the start of our fifth year.”
Mr Terry said CAWB had at least two members for four-hour shifts all day. He said he did two late night shifts a week, usually between 2am to 6am.
He said it was very peaceful at night, until about 4am when the trucks started running through Windsor.
CAWB’s stand is not appreciated by all Hawkesbury residents, with many believing the group is just holding up a project which would improve Windsor’s traffic problems.
