The Waitaki District Council's decision to change tack on a pedestrian bridge over Oamaru Creek was passed by a narrow margin in council chambers yesterday, while the entire process was slammed as ‘‘appalling'' by Cr Hugh Perkins.
A $48,600 timber suspension bridge found favour with the council yesterday and will become a part of the draft annual plan.
This was a departure from a February 3 assets committee decision which rejected the suspension bridge design and supported a $57,500 17m-long concrete bridge.
The concrete bridge gathered more support at the assets committee level as it would be capable of carrying cars, if required, in future and was therefore considered the most ‘‘future-proof''.
The old pedestrian bridge was demolished at a cost of $20,000 at the end of January this year and was condemned in December 2014.
Cr Perkins questioned whether the old bridge needed to be demolished, saying councillors calling the change in course ‘‘savings'' for ratepayers ‘‘defies logic''.
‘‘The real issue is there was a bridge there and some engineer ... decided to demolish it.''
Cr Perkins said that if the council owned the now mothballed 1883 Oamaru District Courthouse ‘‘he would have been romping around [the courthouse] with a digger three years ago''.
‘‘I think this is an appalling example of officers getting carried away - and if we're going to waste $68,000, why not waste $80,000?''
The council voted 5-4 in favour of the suspension bridge, which is to be supported by Oamaru ratepayers.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher and Crs Jim Hopkins, Peter Garvan, Melanie Tavendale, and Colin Wollstein supported the suspension bridge.
Crs Perkins, Bill Kingan, Guy Percival, and June Slee voted against. Cr Kathy Dennison abstained from the vote. Cr Sally Hope was absent.
Cr Tavendale said whether or not Cr Perkins was correct, ‘‘at the end of the day, we've got no bridge now''.
The suspension bridge was a cheaper option than the proposed concrete bridge and would keep the walking track along the waterfront open.
‘‘It may only be $12,000, but that $12,000 is ratepayers' money, I say we keep that ratepayers' money in the bank.''
She said the suspension bridge, which in the council officer's report to the assets committee was scored as the option with the highest amenity value, would be ‘‘an attraction in itself''.
Cr Garvan said tourism was a ‘‘bright spot'' for the town and in the past five years the harbour area had undergone major changes.
Cr Hopkins, who championed the suspension bridge as the cheaper option earlier in the month, said he would be ‘‘thrilled'' to vote in favour of the new proposal.
The draft annual plan will be presented to council on March 16, public consultation begins on March 18.
