Combat Council Overspending! Beat the Bridge!!

The purpose of the Waimea Plains Landscape Preservation Society Inc (The Society) is to pursue and protect the landscape values generally and in particular within the vicinity of the Waimea Plains/Mataura River and the River Terraces, features of the Waimea Plains up stream from the SH 1 Road Bridge in Gore.

At present our efforts are focused on appealing the granting of a Resource Consent to allow the Gore District Council (GDC) to construct a single stand wire span bridge across the Mataura River at the approximate intersection of Huron Street and River Terrace, Gore, to convey water pipes for the Towns water supply upgrade and would additionally have a pedestrian cycleway. It is the Society's belief that this industrial construction would be a blight on the rural outlook of the Waimea Plains.

We also object to the lack of early, full, frank, open, and required, consultation of directly affected parties, and the ratepayers in general, on this major capital project.

Pecuniary gain (money) is not a purpose of the Society. All funds will be used to finance the Society's appeal against the granting of Resource Consent for the construction of the proposed bridge design on the proposed site in the Environment Court.

As rate payers we should all be questioning the process followed by GDC to arrive at the decision to construct the proposed bridge and their reasoning behind adding pedestrian and cycleway access, which inclusion has not been supported by usage data, when the primary purpose of the bridge,or its alternative, is to connect the water supplies within Gore as part of their required Water Supply Upgrade.

We will need between $75k and $100k. We are seeking outside funding from the Environmental Legal Assistance Fund but will need assistance to get the possible legal fee. This is your environment, your Council Expenditure, help us have a say in Capital Projects! If we don't achieve our goal total all monies given will be distribted to local non-profit groups.