Goodbye 2022, hello 2023

Kia ora and welcome to the last Whāingaroa (Raglan) Wharf Projects e-newsletter update of the year.

Christmas is just around the corner, bringing with it an end to what has been a very busy and exciting year at the Whāingaroa Wharf.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for working alongside us to develop the four wharf projects we have undertaken this year and for your patience and understanding while the physical works have been underway.

We’ve also got some very exciting news to share with you! We have been granted funding from the Government’s Better Off Fund to construct the western walkway. More information below.  
In this update:

• What is happening now
• What to expect in 2023
• Highlights of the past year

What is happening now?

Under-wharf repairs and maintenance

We are now wrapping up works on the under-wharf repairs on the eastern side of the wharf and on the Dolphin Pier. Once this is complete, the Dolphin Pier will be reopened to the public prior to Christmas.

As part of this, earlier this week, we removed the barge from the water which served as a working platform for the repair work. It housed all the equipment needed to carry out this work such as high-pressured pumps for hyrdo-demolition and concrete application gear.

Western Walkway

As mentioned above, we’ve been granted $3.2 million in funding from the Government’s Better Off Fund to construct the western walkway.

This will also include tidal stairs and other improvements at the wharf and other improvements such as a pedestrian crossing at the end of Wallis Street.

The western walkway will connect Wallis Street to the wharf while the tidal stairs will provide access to the water, away from where boats are launched on the eastern side of the wharf.

You can read more about the project here.

We can’t wait to get started on this in the New Year.

What to expect in the New Year

From 9 January 2023, we will be kicking into full swing on the construction of the new pontoon, eastern walkway and kayak ramp.

This starts with the delivery of several hundred tonnes of volcanic basalt paddock boulders to the eastern side of the wharf. These will be used to construct a sea wall for the new walkway.

The rocks will be delivered by truck to the site. Pedestrian and traffic management in place to ensure this can be carried out safety. 

The boat ramp will remain open while we do this. However, there will be times when there is a lot of track movement at the wharf and people may experience short delays in being able to use the boat ramp.

The next step after the rocks have been delivered to the site is to pour asphalt for the eastern walkway and kayak ramp and install piles into the water for the new pontoon. We expect this to take around two months to complete.

The new pontoon will be constructed off-site and then delivered to the wharf by truck and lifted into place by crane. We’ll be sharing more information with you about what to expect during this time in the New Year.

Highlights of the past year

We have achieved a lot this year and we couldn’t have done it without your input and support.
Some of the highlights include:

• Extensive consultation with yourselves and the wider community earlier this year to develop the Whāingaroa Harbour Strategy and to select a preferred design for the western walkway
• The completion of the Whāingaroa Harbour Strategy
• The start and completion of the under-wharf repair and maintenance work
• Completion of pre-construction works for new pontoon, eastern walkway and kayak ramp.

More information

More information about this project is available on our website.

We will see you in 2023!