The Westland District Council closed the historic Totara Rail Bridge this week, after engineers warned it could fail at any time, with fatal results.
The 115-year-old bridge near Ross connects the old goldmining town with the West Coast Wilderness trail, which lures 15,000 riders a year to the region.
"It would take a 4 per cent rate increase — just for the one bridge and we’ve got ten bridges from Ruatapu to Ross that need work."
The closure has cut Ross out of the lucrative loop and caused consternation in the small town.
Biddy Manera, who chairs the Ross Goldfields and Heritage Centre, says the cycle trail has saved Ross, creating jobs and investment in accommodation businesses.
The West Coast trail had been a boon for the region, adding about $50m to the economy, Mrs Lash said.
But it didn't directly benefit the council that was lumbered with the maintenance costs, the Westland mayor said.
‘‘The expectation under the [former] John Key government, that set the trails up, was that councils would own them and do the maintenance, but they had to be free for users and we couldn’t charge a toll.’’
Had a toll been allowed - even at $5 per rider – there would be enough in the kitty by now to replace the crucial bridge, Mrs Lash said.
"We have these thousands who come through and use the trail and admire the beautiful scenery and it’s the poor old ratepayers who have to front up for the maintenance, and that’s cost them $1.4 million to date.’’
The council’s assets’ manager, Erle Bencich, said the government did help to maintain the cycle trails, with 100% funding for storm damage available from MBIE, and a contribution for other costs.
But there was no funding for the capital replacement of assets.
No work was done on the bridge until decking was installed for the cycle trail, masking the rust and slow deterioration that lay beneath.
"It’s been dangerous for six years, but the engineers’ latest reports left us with no choice — we were risking a Cave Creek-type tragedy," Mr Bencich said.
This council’s sudden announcement that the bridge had to close, right on the cusp of the new visitor season, had caused an uproar in the community and left the council in a quandary, Mrs Lash said.
Reports that cycle tour operators based in Auckland and Nelson were pulling out of the Ross stretch of the trail dismayed her.
Cycle Journeys, based in Greymouth and Hokitika, won't be pulling out.
Manager Greg Cayford said the loss of the Totara bridge was a logistical headache.
He was hoping all stakeholders could meet soon and brainstorm the problem.
Mrs Lash said an innovative person could run a business barging cyclists across the Totara.
"But long term something had to change, the Westland mayor said.
"John Key started this and it was a good idea but we have to start getting smarter as a country.
"We need to talk structure and affordability in everything we do because we can’t keep doing this to our regions and loading up the ratepayers."
• LDR is local democracy journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
By Lois Williams
