New $3.7m Mataura bridge design met with opposition

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

An artist impression of the $3.7million cable-stay design bridge as part of a $10.8million project to carry water pipelines from the East Gore plant to the Jacobstown wells.

A simple 'like' on Facebook has forced the Gore District Council to engage a consultant planner to assess a resource consent for a controversial new bridge spanning the Mataura River.

The council plans to build a new $3.7 million pedestrian footbridge that carries water pipes across the river, north of the existing traffic bridge, as part of a $10.7 m upgrade of its East Gore water treatment plant.

Chief executive Steve Parry said there was a potential bias when a member of the council's planned team 'liked' a post about the project on the council's Facebook page.

That led to consultant Keith Hovell being engaged to oversea the processing of the consent, a task normally overseen by council staff.

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If it goes ahead, the bridge will be the longest and tallest structure of this type in New Zealand at 39m high and 90m long.

The council said the upgrade would deliver residents with water that meets New Zealand Drinking Water Standards.

The NZ Transport Agency will co-fund 55 per cent of the $3.7million cable-stay design bridge, leaving the council to pay $1.6m.

However, the bridge design has been met with opposition from some residents, with an online petition against it being signed by more than 400 people in less than 24 hours.

Gore District Council chief executive Steve Parry has engaged a consultant planner to assess the bridge's resource consent.

The petition, started by Gore resident Lynn Gray, says: 'the adverse environmental impact of a bridge on the valley and local residents will be devastating. The planned location of this city-like structure in a semi-rural setting is totally out of character'.

Parry said the environmental impact of the bridge would be considered during the resource consent application process.

When asked about the petition, Parry said everyone was entitled to their opinion and take what action they consider necessary.

There had been some support for the bridge, which was designed by a company called DCStructuresStudio, who specialise in bridge designs, he said.

The council put the design out to tender and only received one response, he said.

If it goes ahead, the bridge will be the longest and tallest structure of this type in New Zealand at 39m high and 90m long.

Further funding for the project may come from the Government as the council put the upgrade forward as a 'shovel ready' project and was awaiting a response, Parry said.

The upgrade also includes building a membrane filtration treatment plant at the site of the East Gore treatment plant in Wentworth St, which will centralise water treatment at East Gore instead of it being split between East Gore on one side of the Mataura River, and Hilbre Avenue on the other side.

The council had also considered building a $3.4m arch network pipe bridge at the site, but it was discounted because it was comparable in cost to the cable-stay structure but delivered little additional value to the project, and there were concerns about significant cost increases due to hydraulic and geotechnical inputs.

The council was close to lodging a resource consent for the bridge.

An independent commissioner will consider the application, and determine how it will be notified, with either limited or full notification.

As the applicant, the council would seek full notification so everyone could have input, Parry said.