Yesterday's announcement by the Federal and State Government's, that they would invest $500 million in joint funding for a new two-lane bridge across the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond has already seen some opposition from local residents.
Samantha Magnusson, who lives on the Richmond Lowlands and will be directly impacted by the current proposal, was very vocal at yesterday's announcement about her concerns with the proposed plans.
"We see this as a huge loss for the local community as it is neither a traffic solution or flood solution, and it is yet again a big win for developers on the northern side of the bridge," she said.
"The proposed second and bridge, and it is not a bypass which is what the Hawkesbury needs, it's a second bridge, which is only 50cm above the 1:20 year flood levels. It is 2.5m below the 1:100 year flood levels.
"We've seen this debacle with the Windsor bridge ... and we saw in March the RAAF air dropping food and medical supplies over to North Richmond.
"Now that won't change in the event of another flood. So, this is really a band aid solution from the Government that isn't addressing the real problems of the Hawkesbury."
Ms Magnusson said that she thinks the Hawkesbury needs a bypass that is going to deal with all the traffic, including the impending increase of traffic from the Western Sydney Airport.
"It needs to go across the Yarramundi area [from the Driftway up to Grose Vale Rd]," she said. "We understand that the property developers have land there so it is highly inconvenient for them to have it go through there.
"It shouldn't be on the northern side of Bells Line of Road it should be on the southern side. It's got to get all that traffic away from there.
"You're putting a road through the middle of Richmond, you're dividing the north and south again. You're putting this terrible piece of infrastructure that is complex and ugly almost in the middle of richmond."
Ms Magnusson said the sporting and polo fields of Richmond Lowlands are iconic and should be untouched by this development.
"They are iconic in this area. It's not about people playing polo, it's what the area is known for," she said.
"It's the heritage of the area and to put a big piece of infrastructure and divide it all, and acquire all that land they're going to.
"It's just heartbreaking for the community. We need a traffic solution, but this is not the solution."
Ms Magnusson was disappointed at how the Government had sprung this on the community.
"It is very disappointing that one resident came down here today after hearing about the press conference and saw a big line go through the middle of his property (on the proposed plans)," she said.
"He hasn't been consulted with. He hasn't approached about acquisition. He's had no consultation at all. And that it just devastating."