Subj : Fears rising over West Coast tourist route vulnerability
To   : All
From : News Person
Date : Sat Mar 09 2024 01:50 pm

Fears over the main tourist route through South Westland being cut in two
places are on the rise again.

The West Coast Regional Council is to step up pressure on roading authorities
over the approaches to two sections of State Highway 6.

The council is concerned the Wanganui River bridge near Hari Hari and the
Whataroa River bridge further south are at risk due to the abutments of both
bridges being undercut.

The NZ Transport Agency last year dismissed local concern about the Wanganui
River bridge.

In March 2023, the agency said it was keeping a close watch and was
"satisfied" no additional work was needed.

In January of 2013, the Wanganui bridge was closed for more than five days
after the river washed out the northern approach at a cost to repair of $1m.

This week, the council decided to write formally to the agency after the
matter was raised at a meeting of the West Coast Regional Transport Committee
on January 24.

At its January 29 meeting, council staff tabled photos showing the Wanganui
River undercutting its true-left bank just above the bridge.

A similar trend above the Whataroa River bridge was also reported at the time.

'We've discharged our responsibility'
This week, council chief executive Darry Lew told councillors attempts to
raise the issue locally with NZTA staff were unsuccessful.

Lew said he had now approached the agency's South Island director of regional
relationships.

"I consider we've discharged our responsibility here, and it's up to them,"
he said at the February 5 meeting.

Councillor Andy Campbell, a Hari Hari farmer, said his concern went beyond
the risk to the southern approach of the Wanganui River bridge.

"If they don't maintain under their bridge, it makes our rating scheme quite
vulnerable," he said.

This was because the river could cut in behind rating district stopbanks and
into farmland below the main road bridge.

Councillor Peter Haddock said he had already expressed "the urgency of it" to
NZTA.

He said losing the Wanganui River bridge approach "for several weeks" had
happened before and would again unless there was proactive maintenance.

"That's a stitch in time saves nine. That's been getting pointed out for the
last year," he said.

'I think this is a political matter'
Councillor Peter Ewen said council management needed to "highlight the
urgency of the situation".

But Lew said he doubted this would be effective. "I think this is a political
matter," he said.

Lew said any letter should come from the council chair, in conjunction with
the Westland mayor.

However, Lew said the purpose of NZTA's rock protection work for their
bridges was explicitly to protect "their asset, not farmland behind or any
other assets".

"I think it is important to understand the only reason they do work is to
protect their asset," Lew said.

Committee chair Frank Dooley asked if that meant any NZTA work had to take
into account "implications on other properties", including council assets.

Lew said they only had to take account if their work "exacerbates effects" on
other property.

Dooley said, if that were the case, and work to protect agency assets could
impact on council administered assets like stopbanks, "why shouldn't we raise
our concern?"

"They are our assets. Regardless of whether NZTA have a closed policy with
regards to our assets, we need to be in there boots and all . the letter
needs to be written with urgency and in red."

Campbell said in his opinion the agency was no longer proactive about
protecting its assets including the Wanganui River bridge.

"It's very vulnerable. It's political, we should give them a letter and take
some photos."

Waka Kotahi - NZ Transport Agency has been approached for a response.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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