Northland residents say they will resist new safety regulations to maintain a favourite pastime - jumping into the Taipā River.
The new regulations have come with the expansion of the Taipā Bridge to two lanes, with the New Zealand Transport Agency saying the pastime is dangerous and needs to stop.
While the NZTA would not be interviewed, it said people could injure themselves on submerged hazards like rocks, floating debris and passing boats, especially at low tide. There are signs on the bridge warning people about submerged objects.
The initial plans for the bridge included a jumping platform. However, a health and safety review saw NZTA backtrack and settle on a viewing platform instead.
But Northland MP Shane Jones said he had been jumping off the bridge for years.
“I remember jumping off the bridge for the last fifty years and it hasn't done me any harm,” he said.
“Who's gonna wander around with pencil and pads and a pair of roman sandals enforcing it?”
Locals are also rallying against the ban on Facebook. Others at the bridge are defiant.
“I just don't get it aye. I mean, there's a bridge, there's water. It's just bound to happen,” one resident said.
“Until someone tells me to stop, I'll keep going,” another said.
SHARE ME