Port dredging could create new recreational facility for Whanganui

A plan shows material to be dredged and possible discharge sites. Image / Supplied

Material dredged from Whanganui Port could be used to create a new lagoon, beach, wetland and children's play area on reclaimed land.

The Te Pūwaha project to revitalise the port would look to begin dredging early next year, a statement from the partnership said. There were several possible places where the dredged sand and silt could be discharged.

One possibility was to use it to reclaim a riverside area, project partner Te Mata Pūau, a hapū collective, suggested. It could include an enclosed lagoon for swimming and waka ama, with grassy areas, a children's play space, walking and cycling tracks and a constructed wetland.

New car parking spaces would be needed for public access.

The partnership is consulting on dredging and reclamation possibilities. Interested parties have already been engaged, and people can have their say with a survey and more information on Whanganui District Council's website.

An aerial photograph of Whanganui Port. Photo / Supplied

Project director Hayden Turoa said the partners would love to see the area come alive with people enjoying their connection with the awa.

The project team was looking at what equipment would be used for dredging. It received advice from specialists about how to reduce the impact on marine ecosystems.

Dredging in the first three years would mainly remove fine silt, not suitable for reclaiming land. Other sites were being sought to discharge this. Opinions were being sought and consent would be needed.

Consent would also be needed for any reclamation, and both consents would be sought in May.

The port already carried out dredging to provide a safe channel for Coastguard and recreational boats. Extra dredging was needed to rebuild the wharves and make them safe for use.

A certain amount of dredging would always be needed, due to upstream land management impacts and coastal erosion entering with the tide.

Whanganui District Council's new chief executive David Langford said he was excited to see this phase of the port project begin, and mayor Hamish McDouall said the reclamation project could be another fantastic asset.

The proposal, like all Te Pūwaha decision making, was developed through a Te Awa Tupua lens, recognising the Whanganui River as a living and indivisible whole, inclusive of hapū and the wider community.

"Indivisibility is a key component of Tupua te Kawa and we understand the need to be inclusive, not just of iwi and hapū, but of the whole community when it comes to the river," Langford said.