Scenic path under Captain Cook Bridge overgrown and littered

Many local residents are unhappy with the situation, and so too is Sutherland Shire Council, which has expressed its concerns to the state government agency Transport for NSW, which has responsibility for maintaining the walkway.

Taren Point residents Pauline and Bob Small said they had "complained for years" about overgrowth and strewn litter, but to no avail.

"The council says it is not their responsibility, and to contact RMS (Roads and Maritime Services)," Mrs Small said.

"But, when we send emails to RMS, they don't answer."

"The area is completely untended. The weeds tower over me - they are close to eight feet (2,43 metres) tall.

"You hear rustling in the undergrowth, which could be rats or snakes. You wouldn't let your dog go in there - it might never come out."

Mr Small said another concern was that sections of the path were dangerous, with broken concrete and railings.

"The path is used by a lot of older residents, including people from Woolooware Shores Retirement Village."

A spokesman for Transport for NSW (TfNSW), under which RMS operates, told the Leader, "Vegetation encroaching on a section of the shared pathway below the Captain Cook Bridge was last trimmed on 21 October 2022".

"Crews will reattend this location by the end of February to trim vegetation impeding the pathway," he said.

A Sutherland Shire Council spokesman said the council was "aware of concerns expressed by local residents regarding overgrown vegetation and rubbish along a walkway under the Captain Cook Bridge at Taren Point".

"Council has raised these concerns with Transport for NSW, the agency responsible for the upkeep of this area, and directly with the contractors they engage to carry out this work," he said.

"Council will continue to liaise with TfNSW and their contractors."