Bridge delay threatens harvest

Te Puke kiwifruit orchardists could lose millions if truck access isn’t restored to their road before harvesting begins.

A bridge over Raparapahoe Stream on No 4 Rd washed out on January 29 after severe weather, a ecting the 30 properties above it.

Initially, Western Bay of Plenty District Council said a temporary Bailey bridge would be in place on February 9. Now, the portable truss bridge is around six weeks away – something those with kiwifruit orchards nd “stressful”.

e Muir family has about 40 hectares of kiwifruit including 30ha of gold that will be ready for picking mid-April.

ose with the new red kiwifruit variety pick earlier than gold and there are a few hectares of that on the road as well, says George Muir.

George told Local Democracy Reporting they could lose $4 million if fruit is not picked in time. He estimates 200ha of kiwifruit across the a ected properties could result in a loss of $15$30 million, depending on people’s yields.

“It’s pretty stressful because we’ve outlaid several million growing the crops,” says George. His brother Ben says they’d spent around $2m growing the fruit. “We’re nearly at harvest time now, so we’ve invested all that money into growing crops and then if it can’t get harvested, we’re in big trouble.”

Another potential issue is whether truck-and- trailer units would be able to get to the orchards. e turning circle at the end of a Bailey bridge may not be wide enough for such heavy vehicles. Ben says forestry, beef and sheep farming will also need trucking out soon. “ ere’s quite a few impacted parts of our business if you can’t have truck and trailer units.” e Muirs also have concerns about emergency service accessibility to residents. “If we needed emergency help. ey say you can get a helicopter, well you can only get a helicopter if the helicopter’s available and... if you’re in fair weather.”

Residents have access via a private road and bridge that connects with Manoeka Rd but it is not suitable for heavy vehicles.

Residents want a timeline of when a Bailey bridge will be installed.

WBOPDC transportation manager Jim Paterson says the approximate timeframe for the Bailey bridge installation is six weeks. “Installation of a Bailey bridge is ever-changing and dependant on the site conditions, and our timeframe of completion could always move out.”

Jim says the original February 9 estimate for the bridge opening was based on using the existing road, which started subsiding after this date was communicated to residents.

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Truckie thought he ‘was a goner’

Tam Reneti is downing e Edgecumbe truckie was driving on the Matatā straights towards Mount Maunganui overnight, transporting a heavy load of logs to Tauranga’s port just before 12.30am Tuesday. Reneti felt the impact of the falling earth and debris pummel his truck as the bank fell on top of it, but miraculously it missed his cab by a few metres. Only when dawn broke he saw how narrowly he had escaped injury or death.

“a few cold ones” and buying a Lotto ticket after a huge landslide brought trees, rock and power lines down on his logging truck as Cyclone Gabrielle thrashed the Bay of Plenty.

Supply chain issues

e country’s supply chain is expected to be signi cantly impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. Commerce and Consumer A airs inister Duncan Webb spoke to supermarket executives on Tuesday about potential problems ahead. He says products likely to be a ected include salad packs, broccoli and bananas. He’s been told a banana boat had been turned back in the cyclone.

Other items, such as bottled water and baked goods, are in short supply. “ e supermarket chains say their concern is getting roads open and getting power back on.”

ank you from Sun Media

It’s been a harrowing time for people up and down New Zealand recently. Weather has devastated the country and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been a ected by recent storms. Our news team has been working around the clock to make sure the most up-to-date news is presented to the community, and the community has responded by sending in photos and news tips to help keep everyone informed with our locally-owned digital news website, SunLive, and our locally-owned free community newspaper, e Weekend Sun.

ank you to all of our readers who have supported us and continue to do so. If you have any photos or news leads to share with the team, email us at: newsroom@thesun.co.nz or call 0800 SUNLIVE. You can also message us on our Facebook page.

Elder housing

Work will soon take place around the elder housing units on Heron Crescent, Katikati. e works are the rst step in redeveloping the elder housing village, which is now more than 40 years old. e project is the second recent elder housing development in Katikati, with tenants moving into new units built at Beach Rd this month. Initial site preparation earthworks on Heron Crescent begin midFebruary and include removing existing units, building a new retaining wall between the site and Diggelmann Park, remedying drainage issues and building preparation.