Catlins heritage bridge track issue smoothed over

Tahakopa historian Don Sinclair says negotiations to build a track to a Catlins heritage bridge designed by medical pioneer Sir Truby King are making progress, thanks to compromises made by local landowners this week. Photo: Gregor Richardson

A previously "toxic" Catlins community stoush over a new heritage track looks to have been defused after council intervention this week.

Last month, Tahakopa historian Don Sinclair announced his ambition to build a track to a 1916 heritage bridge, believed to have been designed and built by medical pioneer Sir Truby King during his early 20th century domicile in the rural hamlet.

Although Mr Sinclair believed the approximately 500m track and accompanying car park could be built on Clutha District Council and riparian Crown land without complication, local landowners claimed access across their farms would create health and safety issues.

Neighbouring sheep and beef farmers Craig and Rachel Napier then said Mr Sinclair was being "underhand" in driving the project without full community consensus.

In an effort to break the impasse, Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan chaired a meeting between key stakeholders, including the Napiers and Mr Sinclair, at Tahakopa Community Hall on Tuesday night.

That had proven successful, Mr Sinclair said, after landowners Scobie Farms had offered parking space and access to the bridge from the opposite end of the Tahakopa River to that originally planned.

"[The meeting] was a bit toxic to begin with, with a few caustic comments flying, but it's a credit to council they've helped all parties find common ground on this important project, which will now allow us to move forward constructively."

Mrs Napier also expressed satisfaction with the compromise arrangement.

"We were just looking for a bit of common decency [from Mr Sinclair] in consulting with all the affected parties properly. With a bit of common sense we probably could have arrived at this solution from the outset. We're happy to see it go ahead if it benefits the district," she said.

Mr Sinclair said the next stage was to rework licence and resource consent applications to reflect the changed route, before putting a final plan to the wider community for its approval.

"I believe this track can be the first move in the regeneration of Tahakopa."

richard.davison@odt.co.nz