A petition to support the Kurow and Hakataramea communities' bid to have the twin single-lane bridges across the Waitaki River on State Highway 82 replaced has been organised by Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean.
Mrs Dean yesterday launched the petition ahead of a public meeting on Monday night in Kurow, called by Waimate Mayor John Coles and the Waimate District Council to update the two communities served by the 130-year-old bridges on progress with a replacement.
They were scheduled to be replaced by 2014 with two twin-lane bridges, which could cost $15 million, but there are fears funding may not come from the New Zealand Transport Agency because of work required on infrastructure in quake-damaged Christchurch.
Mrs Dean said yesterday the petition would be available at Monday's meeting.
She shared upper Waitaki Valley people's concerns and anxieties about the bridges.
"The bridges need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Many high-country farmers and their surrounding communities depend on this tenuous link across the Waitaki River not only for their day-to-day requirements but also during emergencies," she said.
The bridges were around in the days of stagecoaches. Today, the links not only serve as a lifeline for locals but are used by large truck-and-trailer units and passenger and tourism services.
The petition would be available at the meeting for people to sign, then circulated in the area for a week before being presented to the Minister of Transport, Steven Joyce.
"For safety and peace of mind, a start on building the replacements must be made, Mrs Dean said.
The Waitaki Valley was a major tourist and commercial attraction, where many people lived and were employed in diverse occupations, including farming, fruit and grape growing, power generation and wine making, as well as in tourist ventures.
