A suggestion to paint Burnie’s Emu River bridge bright yellow or aqua for the city’s 200th birthday has met a cool reception from residents and councillors.
Mayor Teeny Brumby raised the idea on social media, posting a mock-up of the repainted bridge as “an iconic gateway into Burnie” for the bicentenary in 2027.
The response was swift and most of it was negative.
The bridge is overdue for a clean and a fresh protective coating, but Brumby said the Department of State Growth had advised it could not do that work before 2027.
Her suggestion went a step further, floating a bold new colour to turn the bridge into a feature for the celebrations.
“A city’s 200th birthday is a once in a lifetime milestone,” she said.
“It is an opportunity to celebrate our history, our people and our future.”
The department has said it will review the bridge’s condition and look at maintenance work, along with possible cleaning closer to the bicentenary.
Many locals compared the yellow idea to McDonald’s, pointing to the yellow welcome sculpture at the entrance to the city that has been nicknamed the ‘French fries’.
Deputy mayor Giovanna Simpson was not keen on paint but said the bridge did need work.
“I think it’ll be absolutely perfect just with lights,” Simpson told Pulse.
She suggested colour-changing lights tied to community events, the way the council building turns pink for the McGrath Foundation’s Pink Up October.
Simpson also floated projecting images onto the bridge, pointing to light shows in Wynyard and Strahan.
She said the bridge belonged to State Growth, not the council, which left the local authority with little control.
“Bottom line is it is State Growth owned, so we can’t really do much,” Simpson said. “We can only try.”
Council candidate Paula Kirkpatrick opposed the idea online and called for the bridge to be heritage listed.
She backed cleaning and lighting but not paint.
Burnie’s bicentenary celebrations are set for next year, with events already being planned.
