Clarence Valley residents stuck in limbo 15 months on
Residents in the Clarence Valley, north of Kaiko¯ ura, are feeling frustrated, isolated and ignored after going 15 months without a viable road in and out of the area.
The Glen Alton bridge connecting half-a-dozen permanent residents in the valley to Clarence was destroyed after the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in November 2016.
Now the only way in and out was to take a four-wheel-drive vehicle through a stream, one said.
A plan to erect a temporary bridge across the Clarence River was declined by Kaiko¯ ura District Council’s rebuild steering group in January, with residents expected to wait another seven months before consultation about a permanent bridge begins.
Valley resident Jacqui Hamilton said she felt ‘‘stranded’’ in her home some days as the alternative route, which involved opening and closing six gates and driving in a stream, was often unusable.
Hamilton, who lives alone, was frustrated that a plan to install a bailey bridge at the end of 2017 had since been abandoned. People felt like they were living in limbo.
Neighbour Gavin Clark was also annoyed the temporary bridge wasn’t going ahead. ‘‘We’ve had a gutsful. We’ve got to open six gates every morning to get in and out ... The week before last, I had three days off as I couldn’t get out.’’
Council rebuild director Will Doughty said installation of the temporary bridge had been put off while long-term options were explored. There was ‘‘no easy solution or quick fix’’, though an emergency management plan would be finalised by late March.