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Update on planned demolition of the Old Kopu Bridge

Update on planned demolition of the Old Kopu Bridge


The process for demolishing the historic Kopu Bridge by NZTA will continue, but there's still time for the Historic Kopu Bridge Society to try and obtain financial backing to keep the Bridge.

The Historic Kopu Bridge Society has been lobbying our Council to support retaining the Historic Bridge, which was declared surplus to requirements by New Zealand Transport Authority and scheduled for demolition.

NZTA rejected a proposal by the Society to transfer the responsibility and maintenance of the Bridge to the Society.

Our elected members have also maintained that if we supported the Society to retain the Bridge it be at no financial burden or risk to our ratepayers.

At its meeting today Council decided it would support in principle the retention of the Bridge, conditional on measures that eliminate the risk of future costs to ratepayers. These measures include:

• A long-term transferrable resource consent for future demolition being successfully achieved by NZTA.

• That an external third-party entity be responsible for the operation, management and financial self-sustainability of the Bridge.

• If the Bridge is demolished, Council will oppose any partial demolition proposals that retain only part sections of the Bridge.

• That if the Bridge is demolished, that the swing arm be located on land at a site agreed to by our Council and Hauraki District Council, and at NZTA cost.

"A resource consent to demolish the Bridge will always be needed in the back pocket," says Mayor Leach. "What this Council resolution does is give the Society some time to go out and see if they can obtain sufficient, external funding, while the processing of the resource consent continues," he says.

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"Once the resource consent comes through, we can then see if any corporation has come to the party with guaranteed funding to eliminate risk to our Council and make a final decision from there," says the Mayor.

The NZTA resource consent could take up to a year to be finalised. Meanwhile the cost to demolish the Bridge has been estimated at less than $2m. Council's engineers estimate on-going maintenance at between $60k - $180k a year.

Councillors Sandra Goudie, Jack Wells and Jan Bartley opposed the Council resolution.

"I went to a public meeting recently, attended by more than 100 people who were against our Council supporting the retention of the Bridge," says Councillor Goudie. "I'm also concerned that if there's a transfer of the resource consent to our Council, it entails liability and therefore implies cost to Council."

"Also, if there was such support for the Bridge, then why haven't any groups come forward to show financial support?" says Councillor Wells.

Earlier this year we commissioned a public poll on whether the Historic Kopu Bridge should be retained, with 42% of respondents lending support to keeping the Bridge and 58% opposed. In a second question 70% said they weren't prepared to contribute financially to the retention of the Bridge.

Both Hauraki District Council and the Hauraki Rail Trail Trust have also said it won't be responsible for any on-going maintenance or management of the Bridge.

The Thames Community Board has said it would support in principle the retention of the Bridge.

Today's report which went to Council on the future of the Historic Kopu Bridge can be viewed here in the Council 22 October Meeting item 3.1

Freedom Camping Bylaw update

A revised Freedom Camping Bylaw has now been adopted by Council at its meeting today. The Bylaw will take effect from 1 December 2014, which gives us time to develop appropriate signage and public information and education material.

Council staff will also be meeting with all our Community Boards to determine areas where freedom camping should be encouraged, as well as areas where freedom camping will be designated within restricted zones.

Early this year we held public consultation on our revised Freedom Camping Bylaw. This all followed a judicial review of our Bylaw after a legal challenge by the New Zealand Motor Campervan Association (NZMCA). The judge ruled our Bylaw was legal, but two clauses in our Public Places Bylaw and Parking Control Bylaw should be revoked, which has now happened.

"During the legal proceedings we were already a long-way down the track in reviewing the Bylaw to make it more permissive, and revoking the two inconsistent bylaw clauses" says Thames-Coromandel District Council Chief Executive David Hammond.

We want to work more proactively with the NZMCA to ensure that people visiting the Coromandel in certified self-contained vehicles are catered for and are considerate of our beautiful Coromandel environment. People in uncertified non self-contained vehicles will be encouraged to use commercial campsites.

Some of the changes in the Revised Bylaw include:

1. Removing the proposed restriction that would prohibit freedom camping in restricted areas during summer and holiday weekends.
2.
3. Extending the proposed departure time from 8am to 9am.
4.
5. Extending the number of nights freedom campers can stay in a restricted area to two consecutive nights.
6.
7. Having designating areas for freedom camping within all restricted areas.
8.
9. Some changes to proposed areas where freedom camping is prohibited or restricted
10.
Until 1 December 2014 our current Freedom Camping Bylaw still stands. There are two places where freedom camping is permitted (with conditions) on Council land. This is the northern end of the Queen St carpark at Danby Field in Thames and sites at Tui Terrace and Paku Drive, Tairua.

To find out more about Freedom Camping on the Coromandel click here.


ends


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