TCDC removes dangerous bridge at Tairua

A footbridge bridge over Grahams Creek in Tairua, which the District Court has found to be dangerous, has been removed.

Thames-Coromandel District Council Environmental Services Group Manager Sam Napia said today that the Court decision released this week confirmed what Council staff had known all along - the problems with the bridge could not be fixed without complete removal and redesign. “Leaving it in place was not an option because it posed a serious risk to public safety,” he said.

“I appreciate that there is considerable public support in Tairua for the concept of the footbridge. However, the question is not whether the bridge was a good idea, but whether it was safe for public use. When balancing a wish for the crossing and the safety of the public, safety wins every time,” said Mr Napia.

The bridge was built by the CL Fawcett Family Trust late last year and was intended for public use. A digger driver who was employed to install the foundation piles told the Court that when he positioned the piles he discovered that the ground conditions were so poor that the piles could be pushed into the ground with the bucket of his digger. Accordingly, the piles did not meet the engineer’s specifications. The digger driver said that he was told by a trustee, who was present throughout, to tell the engineers that the piles were “okay”. Fortunately, the digger driver refused to do this and warned the engineer not to certify the piles.

Mr Napia said that there is much to learn from this saga which has run for almost a year now. “When you are granted building consent, don’t stray from what’s been approved. If you do, you may find that cutting corners is a costly mistake.”

The Court also ordered that the costs of removal of the footbridge will be met by the trustees of the CL Fawcett Family Trust. “This could have been resolved months ago. Despite an agreement that was reached on 8 August 2008 to remove the bridge, the Council was put to unnecessary expense in this case to obtain a demolition order to safeguard the public. We will now be looking to recover this cost from the trustees,” Mr Napia said.