Work is progressing to assess damage, plan repairs and work with the Disaster Recovery Authority and other government agencies to secure funding and determine the best long-term solution. While options are still being explored, Council is advocating for a rebuild that improves safety and resilience to future flooding wherever possible.

Recent reports have give an estimation of 2028/29 completion date for a full or partial replacement.

Rebuilding The Bight Bridge is more complex than simply replacing what was there before. Safety standards have changed since the bridge was built, and checking whether any parts of the old bridge can be reused is slow, costly and may still not give clear answers. At the same time, detailed plans and cost estimates are needed to secure funding, and these depend on investigations that may ultimately show a full rebuild is required. This creates a difficult balance between spending time and money on assessments now, or moving ahead with planning for a new bridge.

Work collaboratively with the other levels of government to reduce the time it will take to reinstate the bridge crossing for the community.