A new bridge over the Manuherikia River near Omakau to link a dairy farm sited on both sides of the river would allow more clean and efficient stock movement and improve water quality, the Central Otago District Council's hearing panel was told yesterday.
Larkhall Ltd has applied to the council for land-use consent to construct a 4.5m-wide, 55m-long farm bridge over the river, about 2km upstream of Omakau.
It has also applied to the Otago Regional Council for the appropriate resource consents.
The bridge would be built on Crown land next to property owned and farmed by Larkhall Ltd.
The land has recently been converted to dairying.
Engineer Tim Dennis, of resource management planning company Southern Land CKL, appeared for the applicant and said stock was trucked from one side of the river to the other using the road bridge at Omakau.
In the consent application, he said the development of the bridge would allow for the safe, efficient and clean movement of stock across the river.
"The net effect will be an improvement in water quality through fencing off the riparian margins and keeping stock and machinery out of the riverbed at all times."
Removal of stock and machinery from the waterway would remove the likelihood of faecal and other contamination of the river, Mr Dennis said.
The Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game have all given their consent to the proposal.
"We haven't had many of these [bridge applications] before us; therefore, I'm not sure about some of the recommendations by the planner.
Are you happy with them?" Cr Tony Lepper asked.
Mr Dennis said the applicant was happy with the recommendation by council planning consultant David Whitney that consent be granted, subject to 21 conditions.
"Well if you're happy with it, I'll be happy," Cr Lepper said.
In response to a question from Cr Barry Becker about how the surface of the bridge would be kept clean, Mr Dennis said any effluent runoff would be collected in a channel on the deck and disposed of on the applicant's land.
The site has a flood-hazard notation but the bridge deck would be 1m above the 1995 flood level.
Mr Whitney said the bridge was next to land that had been intensively developed and it was isolated from public roads.
It would have little effect on the landscape.
One of the conditions proposed was to incorporate gates into the fenced laneways leading to the bridge, to allow for public access to the river.
The panel reserved its decision on the matter and will announce it within 15 working days.
