Tokerau Beach one-lane bridge doesn't qualify for funding

Te Hiku Community Board member Lawrie Atkinson is questioning the Far North District Council's word that the one-lane bridge on Simon Urlich Rd, at Tokerau Beach, does not qualify for safety improvements.

Mr Atkinson and the Tokerau Beach and Whatuwhiwhi Residents' and Ratepayers' Association have been working for some time to address the safety issue created by a very narrow bridge that is shared by vehicles and pedestrians, including children making their way to and from a school bus stop.

The danger is more pronounced over summer, when traffic increases and more pedestrians use it to get to the beach and the children's playground.

The community board had been told that the bridge did not qualify under the council's matrix for new NZTA funding for footpaths, but Mr Atkinson said he believed it qualified on two counts, in terms of safety and the school bus. The community board had asked council staff to re-evaluate the matrix and their position on funding improvements.

Mr Atkinson told the local newsletter Karikari Panui that he would not be letting the issue lie, and that he was determined to see the safety of children and other pedestrians addressed.

The issue is likely to be on the agenda when the community board meets at the Karikari Community Hall at Whatuwhiwhi on Tuesday October 1, starting at 10am.