The bridge provides both vehicle and pedestrian access over the Hacking River to Wattle Forest and Currawong Flat Picnic Areas from the main picnic area of Ironbark Flat where the Audley Visitor Centre and Weir Café are located.
Why did the bridge need repairing?
The bridge has a restricted load limit as the structure had been damaged by termites. This severely restricted NPWS capacity to respond to wildfire and emergency incidents. Fire tankers could not cross the bridge to get access to Wattle Forest or Currawong Picnic Areas. The bridge needed to be fixed before the busy summer period to ensure NPWS could use its fire equipment to ensure public safety.