Residents’ frustration over bridges’ poor state acknowledged

The frustration felt by Maniototo residents over the poor state of many of the area’s bridges was acknowledged by the Maniototo Community Board at its meeting in Ranfurly on June 23.

Central Otago District Council infrastructure manager Quinton Penniall presented a report submitted to council at its meeting on June 1 and available to view on the council website.

"Council agreed to understanding the problem, figuring out the cost of the problem, and then we come back to council with a recommendation following that, and the scale of the problem," he said.

Board chairman Robert Hazlett said residents were frustrated by how long the issue was taking to remedy.

"We seem to be kicking the can up the street and there’s a wall at the end of the street. If we keep kicking the can, it’s going to come back and hit us in the face."

He spoke of bridge repairs that had been required for years, without council action, where locals had made temporary repairs so they could continue to use them.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan attended the meeting in Ranfurly, saying 85 bridges had come to the end of their natural life

and action would be prioritised based on "the ones that are the most buggered that have the most traffic on them".

--  Tracie Barrett