Work has begun on Whanganui's North Mole. Photo / Bevan Conley
Work has begun on Whanganui's North Mole. Photo / Bevan Conley
The work being carried out by Whanganui District Council to revitalise the port area has passed the halfway point.
And the council said it was set to get approval for building a new wharf and hardstand area before the end of this week.
Its portion of Te Pūwaha port revitalisation project had reached 53 per cent completed, the council said in a statement.
"The completed work to repair and rebuild the port is a significant milestone for Te Pūwaha project," Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said.
"It's also really uplifting news for the community as it brings us closer to a revitalised port and sustainable marine precinct that will benefit local people and bring positive outcomes for the Whanganui Awa."
The council was confident it would be able to apply for resource consent for the wharf and the construction of the hardstand area by Christmas this year, chief executive Lance Kennedy said.
The council said it was also nearing the completion of tender documents for construction works.
The tender will go to market in early 2022 and will be shared on TenderLink to attract contractors.
In the next steps, the council said it planned to apply for resource consent before Christmas and go to market in early 2022 to bring contractors on board to progress construction.
So far the council had rehomed all historic items of interest found to date at the wharf area, repaired the eastern end of Wharf 3 and refurbished offices and relocated Whanganui Port Operations to the Short St/Kirk St cool store.
Other work completed included repairs to the old Harbourmaster building at Tod St (now housing project partners Te Mata Pūau and Q-West site offices), helping more than 15 tenancies relocate from the port revitalisation project area and the removal of all stored items from the entire area, and the building and installation of secure fencing for the area as well as installation of a secure exit point at Kirk St.
Demolition of the Red Shed in the Wharf 2 area was also complete and all reusable timber salvaged for future use, a council spokesperson said.
"Some of this can already be seen in the fence around the Tram Shed on Taupō Quay," she said.
Work around ecology, river processes, the content of river sediment, navigation and acoustic noise pollution had all been worked on by specialists at council, hapū and planners.
Other work included archaeology, coastal engineering, biosecurity and a survey of the seabed.
Their recommendations would advise on how to protect, enhance and bring abundance to the river through the port revitalisation, the spokesperson said.
Demolition of the Victory Shed continued and was on track to be completed by the end of December.
Photo / Bevan Conley.
The asbestos roof of the shed had been removed and disposed of and WorkSafe clearance was given to the site.
Concrete from the Victory Shed walls would be crushed and reused for site rehabilitation throughout the project, reducing the amount of material going to landfill.
The council said once demolition was complete the cleared area at the site would receive full land remediation so it could house tenanted buildings and facilities within the new marine precinct, being developed by Q-West Boat Builders.
"Salvaging material for future use, and bringing in specialists to inform decisions, aligns with the principles of mouri ora, mouri tangata and mouri awa," McDouall said.
"This is the strategic vision to enhance the health and wellbeing of the awa and the people connected to it – they are central measures of success in our work to revitalise the Whanganui port."
Kennedy said the remaining works were planned for completion in early 2023.
"When we go to market in early 2022 we are signalling the opportunity to work on an incredibly innovative project and we want to attract suitably qualified civil works contractors with a proven track record in marine infrastructure construction," Kennedy said.
Work to reinstate and repair the North Mole has started in another major milestone for Te Pūwaha.
The construction work, managed by Horizons Regional Council, will cover the length of the embankment from the end of the North Mole to the Whanganui Port.
Community engagement on Te Pūwaha project is ongoing, and members of the public can register their interest for updates by visiting www.whanganui.govt.nz/port.
