170 bridges nearing end of life in Southland area
With more than 170 bridges needing to be replaced or undergo major work in the district during the next 12 years, costs are mounting for the Southland District Council.
The council is taking a proactive approach and is drafting plans about how it will manage the replacements as it starts to put together the next long-term plan.
Council transport and strategic manager Hartley Hare said during the next 12 years, 173 structures had been identified as needing replaced or other major works done.
A current estimate, based on a 2017-18 asset valuation, for the work is $35 million.
The planning work being done has been at a high level and was only a starting point at looking to inform the next long-term plan, he said.
It did not delve into the detail of every structure and exactly what was required for each bridge, Hare said.
The structural inspection of bridges takes place every six years and it was a three-year process, which is under way at the moment.
‘‘The outcome of this may lead to changes but will be used to help inform the priorities over the next 10-15 years.’’
Council group manager services and assets Matt Russell said whether a bridge would be replaced would depend on several factors including community needs, use and affordability.
Council had already started working through a process divesting four bridges to property owners where the bridges were only serving a few or a single property owner, he said.
When asked if the council would take a loan to support the replacement of bridge infrastructure in the region, Russell indicated loans were one way the spread the cost out.
Financial forecasts in the 2018-2028 long-term plan identify that the council will operate at a
A current estimate for the work is $35 million.
deficit for the next five years as it increases its spending on infrastructure projects.
During the next 10 years, up to $15 million of external debt is expected to be taken on and the council is projected to operate at a deficit, until returning to surplus in the 2023-24 year.
Long-term loans will be required for some of the major infrastructure upgrades.
Rates will increase by 3.9 per cent to a total revenue of $46.5m in 2018-19, with average increases expected to be at 3.06 per cent for the next 10 years.