Let the consultation begin: Gore decides whether to build a bridge or drill under its river
Tuesday, 14 March 2023
The Gore District Council will begin amonth long public consultation about how it will get high-quality drinking water across the river at its On the Fly Mataura River Festival on Sunday.
The council is considering whether to build a bridge to carry two water pipes between its new East Gore water treatment plant and the Jacobstown Wells, or whether to drill and bury the pipes under the riverbed.
The council was criticised by residents and iwi over its lack of consultation before it applied for resource consent to build a cable-stay design bridge in August 2020. After 18 months of legal argument, consents for the proposal were declined in the Environment Court in March 2022.
Council 3 Waters Asset Manager Matt Bayliss said the council was now inviting feedback on possible options to investigate further.
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“We appreciate that we moved too quickly a couple of years ago on a planned bridge near Surrey Street, which would have carried the water, as well as pedestrians and cyclists, over the river.
“We’re keen to do things better this time and involve mana whenua and the community, so we have gone back to the drawing board to look at various options.”
A recent independent report covered 13 possible options and various locations for a bridge.
It favoured either drilling the waterpipes under the river at Maitland Street or building a combined bridge and pipeline in one of four locations - Maitland Street, Rock Street, Surrey Street or Halton Street.
“Before we spend money on additional technical investigations to decide on an option, we want to know if people want a walking and cycling bridge across the river,” Bayliss said.
“Or do they simply want the water to get where it needs to go?”
The council was also keen to understand people’s thoughts on the four bridge locations.
“It’s important to note that if we do move ahead with a bridge in one of the locations, we won’t be using the earlier design at Surrey Street, which had an unacceptably high visual impact on nearby residents.”
In February, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency told Stuff it continued to support the council’s Surrey Street Bridge alignment as per previous decisions.
If a change to the location of the bridge was made, council would have to update its business case, and Waka Kotahi would then need to approve it. It would have to confirm the new location was appropriate, consider issues such as value for money, feasibility and whether it was deliverable, Otago and Southland regional relationships director James Cayhill said.
Last week mayor Ben Bell said he was ‘’frustrated’’ at the council’s slow pace at consulting on the issue.
At February’s council meeting, he called for a public meeting to be held about the issue.
However, the council appears to have backed away from that idea, instead offering residents the opportunity to share their thoughts online, by filling out a feedback form or attending one of four drop-in sessions planned for March.
They will be held on:
• Sunday, March 19 – On the Fly Mataura River Festival, Walnut Grove, 11am–1pm
• Friday, March 24 – Eccles Street Playground, 11am–1pm
• Monday, March 27 – East Gore Primary School, 2.30pm–4pm
• Wednesday, March 29 – Irk Street, 11am–1pm
Information, including an interactive map, and a feedback form can be found on the council’s engagement HQ Let’s Talk https://lets.talk.goredc.govt.nz/ from Sunday, March 19.
Feedback is open from this Sunday until 5pm, Friday, April 21.