'No one takes responsibility for anything': local frustrated with council’s rotting bridge

Council negligence has left a bridge accessway rotten and pitted with large holes in North Auckland, claims a local resident.

Visitors to Long Bay Regional Park on the North Shore have relied on the footbridge for over a decade to access the popular Long Bay Beach.

Resident Peter Giles, who has lived in the areas for 18 years, said that many integral parts of the bridge are starting to show cracks, and boards are “loose and moving under your weight”.

Giles says a lack of decisive action is the root cause with too many different council divisions involved, creating frustration for local ratepayers. Listen to him here.

Hibiscus Bays & Local Board member Julia Parfitt was not initially aware of the bridge damage.

“Technically the structure sits on Council's Coastal team’s books,” she stated.

“But the Regional Park’s rangers and volunteers keep it maintained and checked for basic safety.”

Giles argues that there is decreasing involvement from the rangers.

“In the 18 years I’ve been going down there, I’ve never seen the ranger on the beach.

“The ranger seems to be more just a ghost that you hear about [or] that we’ve seen more recently on TV, but for whatever reason they don’t seem to get involved in the community.”

Parfitt stated that while the local board is not addressing the deterioration of the bridge, it is on the Coastal Council’s current list of renewal projects.

“The design phase has just been completed and it's now going to consenting, so the bridge will be renewed in the near future.”

When the bridge shuts for its repair, walkers will be redirected to an alternative route.

Giles is concerned that the other bridge will also create congestion problems.

“It’s going to be quite a hassle for dog walkers and people who go down the park in general.

“Walkers are now going to have to walk along the road, across the road bridge which has only got a really narrow footpath, and through a car park to get to the beach.

“It’s not as safe as a maintained foot bridge would be, both for people with dogs and for people with young children.”

The Regional Park managers declined to comment.