C O N T E X T 8 8 : M A R C H 2 0 0 5 29 bridge acts as a filter, jamming debris and acting as a dam across the river. In 1981 catastrophe almost struck. Floodwaters were driven across the dam of debris directly through the Kemp House, causing considerable damage, and beyond reaching thigh height in the Stone Store. Luckily the road just south of the bridge gave way just in time, forming a channel that allowed water to escape. If this release of water had not occurred, the Kemp House would have been lost and the Stone Store perhaps also destroyed. The proposed Kerikeri bypass will remove the need for a vehicular bridge crossing at the basin, offering the opportunity to remove the existing bridge. There is, however, a need to replace this bridge with a footbridge to allow visitors and pedestrians to explore the basin as a whole. Nevertheless this will allow works to take place which should secure the safety of the old mission buildings. This is where I step in as a heritage expert to work with the project engineers on an appropriate and sympathetic solution. The existing bridge creates a threat primarily because of its height.The new footbridge will need to be either higher or lower than the existing bridge. A higher structure would need to be at a considerable height above storm water level. It would inevitably remain vulnerable to something exceptionally large trying to pass beneath. Its height would also make a greater impact on the setting of the historic basin. A high structure would also create a number of practical difficulties, such those relating to the treatment of the abutment, given its close proximity to the Kemp House, and to disabled access. In contrast, a low structure, combined with works to raise the river bank beside the Kemp House, will protect the historic buildings, while presenting a simple, practical and sympathetic solution. A low structure reflects how the river was traditionally crossed at this point. It was a ford crossing over an outcrop of rocks at this location when the mission was first set up. Essentially the structure will need to be low and slim in profile to catch as little debris as possible when floodwaters pass over it. The structural brief will call for a recessive visual impact on the basin as a whole. It should also allow for minimal impact during construction, and offers the opportunity to reuse the existing bridge supports in a reduced form. The preferred approach will provide capital cost benefits. However, the proposed solution will need a good management plan (including a healthy maintenance budget) to ensure public safety, debris removal, cleaning, and even possibly repair and replacement of slab sections in the event of dislodgement. The existing bridge is an ugly, cluttered, utilitarian structure that damages the setting of the historic basin. It forms the gateway to the historic basin for most visitors, causing considerable damage to an otherwise beautiful backdrop. Kemp House (1822) is one of the most important buildings in the Kerikeri Basin. Karl Cooper is senior urban designer with Harrison Grierson Consultants. The Great Flood of 1981 nearly destroyed the Kemp House at Kerikeri Basin. An artist’s sketch of Kerikeri Basin as it presently exists. An artist’s impression of the proposed new footbridge at Kerikeri Basin. My work is merely a preliminary assessment. Considerable additional work is required to understand properly the significance of the heritage asset. A conservation plan would appear to be a necessity. I do have a concern over working out an acceptable solution with building code officers on the issue of whether handrails will be required. I hope, however, that I have in some small way helped to conserve this important part of New Zealand’s heritage.
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