Horizons identified as owners of ailing Ōpiki Bridge

Has the historic Ōpiki Bridge has gone from bad to worse despite Heritage NZ's watch?

The Ōpiki Bridge, since 2013 a category one historic place, is what remained of a large flax mill, called the Tane Hemp Mill.

Situated in farmland formed after a swamp was drained, the bridge shortened the trip to the train station until a disease killed off the flax industry in the early 1920s.

It was owned and operated by the Akers and Seiffert families as a toll bridge until 1969 when the building of State Highway 56 put an end to the need for it.

The planks of the bridge were removed some time afterwards and the bridge has been ailing ever since.

Uncertainty over ownership and who should pay for the up-keep left the bridge in limbo until in 2013 Heritage NZ (then called the Historic Places Trust) decided to declare the bridge a heritage site. Not that that improved the state of things.

The historic Ōpiki Bridge has been in the news since its cables collapsed into the river a few weeks ago, obstructing the flow of any traffic on the water.

Amidst clean-up attempts the issue of ownership arose, because whose job was it to sort it out? Ownership was not a question for Heritage NZ who put the ball in the court of the regional council, who were more than a little surprised to be named as its owners, media reports show.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga said it only manages the New Zealand Heritage List Rārangi Kōrero. “The List is a recognition tool and a professionally researched and documented record of Aotearoa New Zealand’s historical and cultural place-based heritage.

“Listing does not result in Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga having any form of control, responsibility, or ownership over those places included in the List,” Heritage NZ’s Adrienne Hannan said.

“Our expert conservation and listing advisers advocate for the maintenance and preservation of heritage places and can provide advice to owners of listed places. This advice can extend to assisting with the development of short or long-term conservation plans and providing advice and feedback on planned works.

“This free expert advice service is available to the owners of the Ōpiki Bridge.

“Like any property, owners of listed places are responsible for the safety and up-keep of their places. Inclusion on the List does not alter this responsibility.”

Horizons, as the body responsible for all waterways in the region, has already stepped up to try and sort the issue, with the help of many others.

“Since cables from the historic bridge near Ōpiki fell into the Manawatū River in September, Horizons Regional Council has been working with various interested parties to ensure the site is safe for river users. As the cables are still in the awa, we ask people to continue to avoid the area,” the council’s group manager catchment operations John Roygard said.

He said the ownership issue has now been sorted, clearing the way to fix this, though no-one knows yet what that might mean.

“While Horizons has not previously considered itself owner of the bridge, subsequent inquiries have shown Horizons owns the bridge as well as the land surrounding it.

“With ownership now clear, Horizons can continue working to produce options to make the area safe. Options will then be discussed with Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand and others involved before any work commences,” he said.