City of Mandurah council decides on the name of the new Mandurah bridge

However, it has begged one question since the replacement works began: what will the new bridge be called?

The naming process sparked the Mandurah community’s interest, with hundreds of comments on Mandurah Mail’s online post with suggestions on what to name the new structure.

However, the bridge’s name was ultimately decided by City of Mandurah councillors at the council meeting on Tuesday night, with half of the chamber voting in favour of keeping its original name, Mandurah Bridge, and half of the chamber voting in favour of letting the community decide.

Despite concerns raised by councillor Dave Schumacher that a consultation process would divide the community, town ward councillor Peter Rogers spoke in favour of letting the community have a say.

He said there was no better occasion to rename the bridge than now, and he said the community had proven to not be divided but rather engaged in the process.

“The community is not divided, it’s getting engaged,” he said.

“They want to have a say.”

“Let’s give it a name that has some meaning for the community,” coastal ward councillor Fred Riebeling said.

Despite concerns about the lack of public consultation by some councillors, it was finally decided to name the bridge Mandurah Bridge, in an attempt to preserve its historical character and avoid the costly process of holding a consultation process.

“The Mandurah bridge has always been the Mandurah Bridge,” town ward councillor Dave Schumacher said.