Work now underway 

Work is now underway at the Raglan wharf!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been busy setting up scaffolding and a site office in preparation for the under-wharf maintenance work needed to ensure the wharf remains in good condition for many years to come. We have also been putting up signage to let you know what to expect while work is underway.

In this e-newsletter, you can find out more about:

• What’s coming up?
• What has happened so far?

What’s coming up?

Boat ramp closure

The boat ramp at the Raglan wharf will be temporarily closed for two hours on Thursday 8 September from 11am-1pm

This is to allow us to deliver a 12-tonne barge to site which will serve as a working platform for the under wharf structural repairs. The barge will house all the equipment needed to carry out this work such as high-pressured pumps for hyrdo-demolition and concrete application gear.

It will be delivered by truck and lifted into the water by crane.

For safety reasons, the area around the boat ramp will be cordoned off and there will be staff on site to redirect vehicles while we carry this out.

Once in the water, the barge will be maneuvered around to the Dolphin Pier where it will be moored until the repair works are complete.

Hydro-demolition underway

Once the barge is in place, we are expecting to start hydro-demolition on the underside of the wharf from Monday 12 September 2022.

This will involve using specialist highly pressurised equipment to remove small areas of concrete which have degraded over time.

For safety reasons, while this work is underway, we’ll close off small areas of the wharf above where we will be working. Initially this is likely to be around the dolphin pier.

There will be a lot of noise produced by this work. We will keep this between the hours of 8am-5pm on weekdays and from 8.30am-12pm on the occasional Saturday.

What has happened so far?

Site blessing

On Wednesday,10 August 2022, a karakia was held at the wharf led by three Kaumatua of Ngāti Māhanga and Ngāti Tamainupō.

This tradition is an important start to any project and acknowledges the history of the area and its significance to Tangata Whenua and the Raglan community.

This is a very exciting milestone and means we can now start construction at the wharf.

Maintenance work

To carry out the maintenance work underneath the wharf, we’ve set up platforms which will allow us to access the areas where repairs are needed. The platforms will be lined and will capture any debris that occurs while this work is underway.

It is a tricky balancing act to work with the tides underneath the wharf. At low tide the platforms will need to be lifted for us to reach the areas we need to however, on high tides there won’t be enough room for us to work.

This means keeping a close eye on the tides and being as efficient as possible when the conditions are just right.

Pontoon, eastern walkway and kayak ramp

We’ve sourced more than 440 tonnes of volcanic basalt paddock boulders from the Te Uku Wind Farm which will be used to create a sea wall revetment at the eastern side of the wharf as part of the construction of the eastern walkway and kayak ramp.

Not only are these rocks locally sourced, which reduces carbon emissions to transport them, but they are also great for the marine environment. Basalt rocks are very dense and have excellent weathering properties which makes them a lot longer lasting than other rock alternatives. They encourage the growth of algae which, over time, will create an intertidal marine environment that will be full of life.

The rocks have been delivered to a site adjacent to Te Mata Quarry where they will sit until we start construction in mid-October 2022.

Natural basalt paddock boulders.