Council keeps Spike Milligan Bridge

A move to abandon the name, the Spike Milligan Bridge, has been rejected by Gosford Council.

A rescission motion had been called by councillors Terri Latella, Vicki Scott and Jim Macfadyen.

The three councillors had asked that council rescind its previous resolution, and replace it with the motion that: "Council name the cycleway bridge that spans Woy Woy Bay Inlet at Koolewong as The Woy Woy Bridge".

Cr Latella had tried to defer consideration of the rescission motion at the meeting of Tuesday, August 28, as one of the supporting councillors, Cr Jim Macfadyen, could not attend the meeting.

General manager Mr Peter Wilson said that once a rescission motion has been called it must be dealt with on the night.

Cr Latella said she had received a lot of correspondence about the bridge naming from community members who were not aware of a survey about the naming.

"They felt they were not part of any feedback," Cr Latella said.

Cr Latella said she was also against the naming of the bridge as the Spike Milligan Bridge as she didn't feel it was an "appropriate naming".

Local resident Ms Audrey Armstrong supported Cr Latella.

"Many residents have show their disapproval," Ms Armstrong said.

"I hope council will choose a name appropriate to the area.

"It seems reasonable a bridge to Woy Woy would be named the Woy Woy Bridge."

The original supporter of the Spike Milligan naming, Erina resident Mr Rod Fountain, called the rescission motion "ridiculous".

"Is the name Spike Milligan going to be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of Peninsula residents?" Mr Fountain said.

"There are 16 other geographical names with Woy Woy in it."

Mr Fountain referred to a petition with 300 residents in favour of the name.

"Are they going to be ignored and disenfranchised?" Mr Fountain said.

"Spike Milligan was an exceptionally talented actor, an author and a campaigner for the environment.

"He had development on Rileys Island stopped.

"Local tourism businesses are already promoting the name on the internet."

Mr Fountain said the debate was probably causing "great embarrassment" for the Milligan family.

Cr Vicki Scott said that she had only had one person tell her that the bridge should be called the Spike Milligan Bridge, that person being Mr Fountain.

"Not another person," Cr Scott.

"Everyone else tells me that they are happy for it to be called the Woy Woy Bridge.

"I want it to mean something.

"I want the entrance to Woy Woy recognised.

"We should call it the Woy Woy Bridge."

Mayor Cr Laurie Maher agreed that the time taken to make the decision was a "bit of an embarrassment".

"It is hardly the most important matter," Cr Maher said.

Cr Craig Doyle said he "really didn't care" what the bridge was called.

"People don't care what it's called," Cr Doyle said.

"People will call it what they want to call it."

Cr Chris Holstein called the rescission motion "a joke".

"Why are we reconsidering this?" Cr Holstein said.

Cr Holstein also read out a eulogy for Spike Milligan which had been written by Member for Peats Ms Marie Andrews.

Cr Latella closed the debate by stating that the naming of the bridge was "very significant".

"Some councillors and yourself, mayor, don't feel it is important enough," Cr Latella said.

"The naming of the bridge is very significant.

"The name (Spike Milligan) does not invoke a feeling of a sense of place and I don't think it does it for the rest of the community."

Council agenda NM.13, 28 Aug 2007