The desperation of Rocks Ferry Road residents was apparent when they met with Mayor Peter Besseling last week.
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As Greg Elliot emphasised, the rapid riverbank erosion is "like a cancer that just chews our reserve away".
Cr Besseling appeased residents by explaining the current status of council investigations, agreeing to provide regular updates and reinforcing that "no decision has been made" regarding the objectionable proposal to construct a new pathway along the narrow roadway.
He also impressed that the key drivers would be safety and long-term considerations for the much-loved public reserve, which is Crown Land that council oversees as reserve trust managers.
"We need to understand if and how we can stabilise the riverbank.
"I grew up on the Hawkesbury River and am well aware of the dynamic nature of rivers.
"We need to take a pragmatic approach and ensure whatever we put in place works for the long term.
"We've been speaking with Crown Lands today (Thursday) and investigations have already started," Cr Besseling said.
While residents argue that large boulders to reinforce the riverbank appeared to be the "easiest and most practical solution", they agreed to await a proposed timeline within the week.
Michelle Grecen pushed for a timeline due to concerns that "this will all go into a government vault and our riverbank will be forgotten about for years".
She believes "something has to happen urgently" and suggested council consider "temporarily making the pathway (currently closed to the public) safe while investigations are undertaken".
Neighbour Yelka Mudford said she was "scarred about what summer will bring" given only eight inches of rain in April caused damage which forced the pathway's closure.
Cr Besseling took onboard suggestions from residents, including ideas from one local who travels regularly and argued that our river "is not unique".
The question is, how do we hold back nature?
Cr Besseling said he "cannot commit to the path being fixed before summer", but promised to regularly liaise with the group.
"Council recognises the community value of the riverbank and it's important to note that councillors did not support the proposed solution (discussed at council's July meeting).
"We are not on opposite sides - we all want what's best for the community," he said.
With the walkway closed in the short-term at least, Cr Besseling said he would investigate residents' suggestion regarding traffic calming devices to ensure pedestrian safety along Rocks Ferry Road.