Community wins round in battle over footbridge

A small Far North community has succeeded in stopping a developer building a pedestrian overbridge from a $50 million coastal subdivision to a local beach - for now.

Contractors trying to build a steel footbridge above State Highway 10 onto the east coast foreshore at Cable Bay, north east of Kaitaia, agreed yesterday to remove their equipment.

This follows a 20-day standoff on a beachfront reserve between bridge objectors and contractors who had council approval until November 25 to complete the structure, which would link a hillside condominium, Crystal Waters, with the beach.

Yesterday police and security guards were present as about 60 community and hapu objectors faced contractors' representatives who made it clear they wanted to get their digger onto the beach and working.

After a five-hour impasse, objectors' spokesman Niki Tauhara announced that contractors had agreed to remove a digger and pile driving gear.

Main contractor's representative, Larry Eade, of McBreen Jenkins, said it was still intended to pursue options for constructing the bridge.