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A miscalculation of the cost of building two footbridges in Kaiwaka will cost Kaipara District Council an extra $150,000.
Last year, Council successfully secured a $750,000 grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to design and build the bridges.
However, after putting the project out to tender, Council found that it had under-budgeted.
Council has been told that the cost increase is a result of having to build the bridges higher and with larger foundations than anticipated, following a geotechnical analysis.
Just two of the four firms invited to tender made a submission and Council has selected the lower of the two tenders.
Councillors voted to approve the additional funding instead of reducing costs by removing accessibility ramps on the bridges.
Council noted that if it had to redesign the project, it would fall foul of MBIE’s deadlines and might lose the funding.
Funding for Rangiora Park and a carpark in Kaiwaka has had to be pushed into next year to free up cash for the bridges.
The first footbridge will cross Kaiwaka River, providing pedestrians a safe connection from Oneriri Road to the northern end of town.
The other will be built across Mountain Creek, connecting the township with parkland and the Coffee Pot to the north.
