Inevitably satirists mocked the outrageous pricetag with The Shovel published an itemised costing for the job. Flag, $249.95. Pole, $180.50. Consultants, global fact-finding missions (to visit other flag-bearing bridges), awareness raising and merchandising campaigns, $24.9 million.

The premier was also parodied for making a proclamation he would do something about flying the Indigenous flag on the bridge, and then questioning the cost. But clearly his cabinet colleagues were also uneasy, with some ministers reportedly surprised by the hefty pricetag. Like the rest of us.

Let’s face it, the Harbour Bridge only cost $13.5 million to build (we finished it in 1932 after nine years of construction and only finally paid it off in 1988). How can a third new flagpole, even if it is six-storeys high, cost nearly twice as much? And how long will it take us taxpayers to pay off this one?

Yes, we understand there will be complex engineering work required from the Transport for NSW team, and it is atop one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

I understand this sort of symbolism can be costly. But surely not $25 million worth. That sounds just like the sort of excuse a government could use not to proceed. Couldn’t that money be better spent in Indigenous communities, on programs to stop domestic violence or to house the homeless?

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A simple solution would, of course, be to just scrap the NSW flag flying next to the Australian one on the bridge, and just put the Indigenous flag instead. No need for that costly engineering work or road closures. Who needs a state flag there anyway?

Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka, who launched the flag campaign five years ago, needs our support. So that her plan becomes a permanent fixture we need to give her an assurance this will be the case, whoever is in charge of the state.

This should not just be a bipartisan idea, but a whole of government, state and country initiative.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Ben Franklin said the Indigenous flag on the bridge initiative displays the NSW government’s commitment to reconciliation, truth-telling and respect for Aboriginal people both within our state and throughout the country. We need all politicians to get behind this move. But we also need the goodwill of the NSW people and to find ways to reduce that alleged $25 million pricetag.

So that whoever is in power, the flag saying this always was, always will be Aboriginal land, will always fly high across the harbour. With the Australian flag (whatever form it takes), and hopefully without the NSW flag (in its current form).

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