Māngere Bridge resident Richard Goulstone says he was unable to get over the new Ngā Hau Māngere bridge in his wheelchair, due to the steep and long climb from Coronation Rd. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
A wheelchair user says Waka Kotahi has failed to cater for the needs of the disabled community in its construction of a new $38 million bridge.
Māngere Bridge resident Richard Goulstone has osteogenesis imperfecta, an inherited genetic degenerative condition which leaves sufferers with brittle bones.
The 52-year-old lives just up the road from the new Ngā Hau Māngere walkway and cycleway, which spans Auckland's Manukau Harbour. It is a replacement for the Old Māngere Bridge, which was used by the community for over a century before being closed due to damage.
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Goulstone visited Ngā Hau Māngere soon after it opened to the public on 27 August, but was unable to get over the bridge due to the steep and long climb from Coronation Rd.
He said because of his condition, he was not as strong as he used to be and getting across the bridge was too hard. Anyone in a non-electric wheelchair or a walking frame would find it a challenge, he said.
"It's too late now in the case of this project. But I just hope that if Waka Kotahi is doing something like this in the future that it talks with the Disabled Persons Assembly NZ during the design phase."
He said he had sent an email to Waka Kotahi outlining his concerns, but had yet to hear back from the agency.
Disabled Persons Assembly NZ chief executive Prudence Walker said she didn't have any details about Ngā Hau Māngere or Goulstone's complaint.
But she said it was a concern when anyone with a disability had to deal with such issues.
"Accessibility impacts on disabled people's lives every day and this person has highlighted the problems he faces just getting around his local community," Walker said.
She said it was important government agencies like Waka Kotahi worked more closely with the disabled community.
"It's about working in partnership with communities like ours to discuss what works for people, not just meeting minimum requirements."
CCS Disability Action spokesperson Vivian Naylor said the organisation was involved in a panel when the project's architects discussed it with Auckland Council in 2014, but it had not had any further involvement since.
She said there was a long timeframe between the project's initial design and its construction and there may have been changes to the bridge since it was consulted on.
In a statement, a Waka Kotahi spokesperson said the deck of Ngā Hau Māngere has a gradient of 1 in 33, which was in keeping with the New Zealand Building Code and the Auckland Transport code of practice for shared use paths.
"The Māngere and Onehunga sides of Ngā Hau Māngere may appear to have different slopes due to the differing lengths either side of the central arch. This is due to the different elevations of the connection points at either end."
The spokesperson did not answer questions about what consultation had been carried out with disabled groups, but said Waka Kotahi and lead design consultant Aurecon had worked with stakeholders and community leaders on the design.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.