Dead horse among debris under Whakatāne Bridge after heavy rain

Whakatāne resident Peter Minten is disappointed more urgent action hasn’t been taken to remove the horse carcass from the bridge pier. Photo / Diane McCarthy

Warning: This story contains an image of a dead horse.

A dead horse is among the debris stuck up against the Whakatāne River Bridge piers after last week’s heavy rain event.

It is the second dead horse washed down the Whakatāne River in as many months.

The last was in the first week of October and had to be removed from the Whakatāne Wharf area by the Whakatāne District Council.

Debris had been building up on the bridge piers since Friday last week when heavy rain drenched the Bay of Plenty.

A NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi spokesperson said it is working with contractors to remove the debris using a barge later this week.

Whakatāne resident Peter Minten, a waka ama club member, was disappointed that more urgent action hadn’t been taken to remove the carcass.

He said he went for a paddle on the river on Sunday and was warned by the club to keep away from the bridge area until debris had been removed.

Three piers of Whakatāne Bridge have a build-up of debris from recent storms, mostly wood but also containing a horse carcass. Photo / Diane McCarthy

Most of the debris is forestry slash but the bloated carcass of a bay-coloured horse was among the trapped debris.

Walking along the bridge footpath from Landing Rd the carcass can be easily seen and smelled at the fourth pier.

Minten visited the district council offices on Monday morning to ask for the horse to be removed but was told it was a matter for Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

“There was a lot of concern, until a more senior figure appeared and said, ‘no, it’s in the water so it’s not our problem, it’s the regional council’s problem’,” Minten said.

On visiting the regional council he was told staff were aware of it.

Concerned about contamination of swimming and fishing areas, he asked what they were going to do about it.

“I know enough of microbiology that you don’t leave dead animals long in the water, because it starts to decompose and all sorts of other nasties can come from there.”

He was instructed to either phone the Pollution Hotline or report it online and given instructions on how to do so, but the staff were not able to provide him with any further information.

Whakatāne District Council’s communications team told Local Democracy Reporting that clearing debris from the bridge was managed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and the horse was a matter for the regional council as part of its Pollution Hotline process.

A dead, bay-coloured horse floating amid the debris caught on one of the bridge’s piers can be seen and smelt from the bridge footpath. Photo / Diane McCarthy

The regional council’s regulatory compliance team leader, Trudy Richards, confirmed that debris in waterways was typically managed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council as it created navigation hazards and debris on land was the responsibility of the relevant territorial authority.

“For this incident, the debris is caught beneath the Whakatāne River Bridge, an NZTA asset, and NZTA is working with specialist contractors to remove it,” she said.

The regional council has received four calls to its Pollution Hotline about the dead horse.

Richards said the previous dead horse reported in the Whakatāne River in early October was removed by Whakatāne District Council, as, though it was initially in the waterway it eventually made land.

“Situations like this are not always clear-cut, and both councils work together to resolve them,” she said.

Asked whether any health warnings would be made, she said public health warnings were issued by the National Public Health Service and the regional council was not aware of any warnings at this time.

“Our advice to callers is always to avoid water after heavy rain, especially if it appears polluted or has large debris floating in it.”

Minten said while he understood responsibilities sometimes lay with other organisations, he felt the district council should be more concerned and push a little bit harder on the other organisations.

An NZTA spokesperson said the debris did not have any effect on the stability of the bridge.

The agency was aware of the debris and was working with contractors to arrange its removal.

A barge was expected to be available later this week.

Removing the debris via the bridge deck was not possible and the agency was “carefully planning the operation to minimise disruption and ensure safety”.

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