The Thames Coromandel District Council will support in principle the retention of the historic Kopu Bridge that has been earmarked for demolition.

But that support is conditional on four measures to eliminate risk of future costs to ratepayers, as laid down by council at its meeting yesterday.

The battle to save the historic Kopu Bridge from demolition continues, with the TCDC lending its support in principal to the bridge's retention. Photo: File.

This means there is still time for the Historic Kopu Bridge Society to obtain financial backing in order to keep the bridge, declared surplus to requirements by the NZ Transport Authority.

The NZTA rejected a proposal by the Society to transfer responsibility and maintenance of the bridge to them and has lobbied council for support.

TCDC elected members maintain if council supports the society it be at no financial burden or risk to our ratepayers.

The four measures set by TCDC includes a long-term transferrable resource consent for future demolition being successfully achieved by the NZTA, and that an external third-party entity is responsible for the operation, management and financial self-sustainability of the bridge.

They also include council opposition to any partial-demolition proposals so sections of the bridge could be retained if demolished, and if demolished, the swing arm would be located on a site agreed to by council, the Hauraki District Council, and at NZTA cost.

'A resource consent to demolish the bridge will always be needed in the back pocket,” says TCDC mayor Glenn Leach.

'What this council resolution does is give the Society some time to go out and see if they can obtain sufficient, external funding, while the processing of the resource consent continues.”

Once the resource consent comes through TCDC can then see if any organisation will guarantee funding to eliminate risk to council and make a final decision from there.

The NZTA resource consent could take up to a year to be finalised and the cost of demolition is estimated at less than $2m. TCDC engineers estimate on-going maintenance between $60k to $180k per year.

Councillors Sandra Goudie, Jack Wells and Jan Bartley all opposed the council resolution.

Sandra says she went to a recent public meeting attended by more than 100 people who were against TCDC supporting the retention of the bridge.

She is concerned that if there is a transfer of the resource consent to council that entails liability and 'therefore implies cost to council”.

While Jack question why, if there was such support for the bridge, why no groups come forward to show financial support.

The new Kopu Bridge. Photo: File

Earlier this year the TCDC commissioned a public poll on whether the Historic Kopu Bridge should be retained

The result showed 42 percent wanted to keep the bridge and 58 percent opposed.

In a second question 70 percent said they were not prepared to contribute financially to the retention of the Bridge.

Both Hauraki District Council and the Hauraki Rail Trail Trust have also said it won't be responsible for any on-going maintenance or management of the Bridge.

The Thames Community Board has said it would support in principle the retention of the Bridge.

TCDC's report on the Historic Kopu Bridge's future can be read here.