Gisborne farmers fight for cyclone bridge rebuilds

A collection of Gisborne families are still anxiously awaiting updates about council-owned bridges destroyed during Cyclone Gabrielle, cutting them off from public roads.

Funding for rebuilds has been secured for only two of eight cyclone-damaged bridges.

Of these, three bridges considered crucial infrastructure for four rural families will "never" be replaced or require further information.

For the past 21 months, each family has been subject to increased expenses, having to cancel plans during high rivers and tough farming conditions.

Mary Clarke, who is heavily reliant on Mangatai Bridge (Te Kowhai Road, Whatatutu), said she has been in limbo for 18 months and unable to farm sheep.

Rob Mackenzie (Pauariki Bridge, Tokomaru Bay) said he and wife Anne want to give their farm to the next generation and are committed to staying.

"We brought our kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren up here.

Mackenzie said it had caused his family severe stress and cost a considerable amount of money to stay there.

All four families spoken to by Local Democracy Reporting said communication from the council was not cohesive with verbal offers, but there were no concrete plans.

The families said the council often did not respond to their emails.

Council director of community lifelines Tim Barry said their frustrations were understandable, and while externally it may have appeared like there was a lack of action, this was not the case.

"The council are engaging directly with affected whānau on alternatives, such as alternate roads or engineered low-level crossings.

"These solutions have not been offered yet, as this requires us to first secure funding and all internal approvals.

"While council is not legally required to restore the connectivity to these remote properties, we are working proactively with our funding partners to find solutions."

In December 2023, $23 million in funding for council-owned bridges categorised as "black - serious damage" was finalised with the government.

This was never going to be enough to rebuild the eight lost bridges under the approved design standards, Barry said.

The council decided the most efficient approach would be to use the funding as a local share contribution to leverage an application to the Transport Agency (NZTA), which required ministerial approval.

The cases for the bridges were submitted earlier this year, as part of the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme, with NZTA's board due to decide in September.

In response to families not being able to get hold of the council, Barry said the council had appointed "a dedicated point of contact" for whānau, and was committed to regular updates.

Barry said several bridges were at risk of being lost during future severe weather, which could put more families in the same situation.

Many of the region's bridges were built in the same era as the destroyed bridges.

Since the cyclones, the council had identified about 30 bridges that would benefit from resilience investment, he said.

Earlier this year, the four property owners formed the group Bridging Tairāwhiti, to lobby Parliament and get funding for the recovery plan in the hope it would help them get bridges for the Burgess, Pauariki, and Mangatai farms.

Initially, the council gave them a five-year waiting period, but NZTA revealed this month that it would not be co-funding the Burgess and Mangatai bridges, while Pauariki Bridge required more information.

For the Mangatai access bridge, NZTA endorsed an alternative route, which the council was investigating as a potential option.

'Never say never'

Helen Burgess (Burgess Road bridge, Pehiri) has a fourth-generation farming property of 120 years.

She plans to give their farm to the next generation and was shocked to be told their bridge would "never" be rebuilt.

"Never say never," she said.

The Burgesses have rejected the council's verbal offer to buy their land as a potential option.

"It's not about money; it's about our roots."

The family investigated getting the bridge, which was built in 1963, insured before the cyclone but couldn't because it was council-owned.

"The bridge was only built to last 20 years," Burgess said.

She questioned the criteria of the NZTA decision.

"It should be about the welfare of the people ... we are totally isolated when the river comes up."

NZTA regional manager of maintenance and operations Rua Pani said it is ultimately the council's decision to decide which bridges to replace on local, council-managed roads.

However, NZTA measured the bridges against their standards for benefits and costs of investments, to decide if they would co-fund the rebuilds.

The methods include an economic assessment of alternative options and consider costs and benefits over a 40-year period, with a bridge life expectancy of 100 years.

Of the eight council-owned cyclone-destroyed bridges, referred to as "black bridges" only two will be funded by NZTA: the St Leger Bridge on Ruakaka Road and the Huiarua Bridge on Mata Road.

Darcy Hamilton, whose property and five other farms connects with the St Leger Bridge (Hangaroa), said he has no idea when the bridge will be rebuilt.

Hamilton said he was originally told November, but had since been told only the removal of the destroyed bridge would take place then.

Barry said the council was targeting to have St Leger open by late 2026 and the upper Mata Road bridge (Huiarua), near Tokomaru Bay, completed by early 2027.

"We are doing everything we can to try and beat this target, but factors such as design and funding certainty, resource consents, weather events and policy changes are subject to affect these targets."

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.