Three different concept costings were in the agenda, ranging from $3 million to $6m. The public were being put in an unfair position, she said.
A delay would allow the council to understand what ECT would bring to the project, she said.
Shannon Dowsing supported Mrs Seymour, saying he did not see any community desire for “the bridge to nowhere”.
But the majority of councillors and Mayor Meng Foon voted against the motion, believing enough time had already been lost and that they were voting for public consultation only on the concept plans.
Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said while it was unlikely the bridge would be completed in time for Te Ha 1769 sestercentennial commemorations, because of the resource consent process, “there was still a glimmer of hope’’.
But any delay for the ECT meeting in November would mean a 2019 deadline “was completely off the table”.
The recommendation was about public consultation on the Turanganui Bridge, not about funding.
There was no benefit in letting the matter lie on the table, she said.
Larry Foster said he was happy to start consultation. Getting the bridge process started was crucial to have any chance of it being ready for Te Ha.
Time already wastedToo much time had already been wasted on progressing the Navigations Project without incurring further delays, Mr Foster said.
The council was not being asked to commit to anything, but to get ‘‘spade ready’’ and “resource-consent ready”.
Brian Wilson said the lack of information gave him no reason to support the bridge. The idea had been around for a long time but the costs kept changing.
“It is still only a concept.”
The inner harbour development would be a great asset for the community, and for tourism.
“I do not particularly see the bridge as a great asset for the community.’’
It was important to consider the economic return on the bridge, even if council was not the funder.
The funding could not be spent somewhere else in the community.
Mr Wilson said he still had an open mind about the bridge, but there was little knowledge about the wisdom of such spending, and it was unlikely to be built by 2019.
ECT could explain these matters.
Rehette Stoltz said she was comfortable with the bridge concept being taken to the community. No one was seeking council funding.
The bridge would probably not be ready by 2019, but ECT wanted the council to be ready.
Mr Dowsing said there had already been "pushback" against the walkways.
Not a good spendA 113-metre-long bridge worth $3m to $6m was not a good way of spending community money.
Mr Foster said the bridge was not a bridge to nowhere but was of huge significance. It would take people to the area of the first meeting (near Te Toka a Taiau/Taiao) where the reason for the Te Ha commemorations was explained.
It would have been good to have met ECT previously, but the council was not being asked to make any major decisions. It was time to move ahead.
Graeme Thomson said funding was available for the design stage ($1.4m from ECT) and further funding might be available.
“But we don’t know that,” he said.
“This council has been left with — or close enough to — a $100 million hole in our budget from what we expected in the last long-term plan.
“We’ve been left with other costs, unexpected costs in the millions.”
Mr Thomson said the council would have “to swing’’ on grant funding for plans and projects and “swing more” than originally expected.
The council should meet with “our principal funder to get the big picture”.
The HB Williams Memorial Library upgrade was an example of the council being “spade ready” and with costs consequently going beyond budget. Recent projects had resulted in a $5m budget blow-out, he said.
Mr Burdett said the council faced big spending programmes and there was a degree of financial uncertainty.
Funding had to be in place before the council proceeded.
ECT was an autonomous organisation and not the “third bank” of the council, Mr Burdett said.
Andy Cranston said councillors needed to respect the Tairawhiti Navigations Governance Group who had endorsed concept plans for the bridge. The bridge would be a community asset, as was any facility that bettered the district.
He did not agree there had been “pushback’’ against the walkways. His experience had been the opposite.
Oneroa walkway was widely perceived as a major asset, Mr Cranston said.
¦ The council unanimously supported, without debate, the inclusion in Tairawhiti Navigations of the Cook Landing Site upgrade project, which will be funded by central government.
¦ The decision to adopt the council staff recommendation to take the bridge concept plans to the public was carried on a voice vote. It was not unanimous.
¦ Those who earlier voted for the issue “to lie on the table’’ were: Mrs Seymour, Mr Burdett, Mr Dowsing, Malcolm MacLean, Mr Thomson and Mr Brian Wilson.
Against: Mr Foon, Meredith Akuhata-Brown, Mr Cranston, Karen Fenn, Mr Foster, Mrs Stoltz, Josh Wharehinga.
Abstention: Amber Dunn.
