A bridge over Raparapahoe Stream on No 4 Road washed out on January 29 after severe weather, affecting the 30 properties above it.
Initially, the 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 find “stressful” reports www.nzherald.co.nz
One grower has around 40 hectares of kiwifruit including 30 hectares of the gold variety that will be ready for picking in mid-April. Growers with the new red kiwifruit variety pick earlier than gold and there were a few hectares of that on the road as well.
The grower estimated there were around 200 hectares of kiwifruit across the affected properties that could result in a loss of $15 to $30 million, depending on people’s yields.
