Whanganui’s $2.5 million velodrome replacement slowed by contractor visas

The velodrome was closed in 2021 due to safety reasons. Photo / Bevan Conley

Tools worth $1 million have arrived in town for Whanganui Velodrome’s track replacement, but contractors are still waiting to get into the country.

Whanganui District Council property and open spaces general manager Sarah O’Hagan told a council operations and performance committee that the visa applications were lodged around 10 weeks ago.

German-based company Velotrack will carry out the replacement.

“We’ve had notification that they [the visas] are now being processed,” O’Hagan said.

“[Velotrack] had not been able to get any specificity around whether the visas were being actioned or if they were still sitting in the queue.”

The council had been assured that contractors would make a start on the replacement this year.

“In fact, they’ll be on the plane the day after the visas are issued.”

While it was disappointing more progress hadn’t been made, the reasons for the delay were out of the council’s control, O’Hagan said.

The replacement, budgeted to cost $2.5 million, was originally due to start last month.

Expenditure to date sits at $1,820,000.

A May status update report from project manager Rosemary Fletcher says a joint effort between the council and Whanganui Cycling Club has already cleared the under-track area ready for construction.

Disposal of the existing track material is still to be arranged.

The track timber - Accoya wood supplied by New Zealand company Hermpac - is in secure storage in Whanganui and the necessary tools arrived in town this week.

O’Hagan said the council was working with various stakeholders around getting the velodrome “back on the map”.

That had come to a standstill.

“Until we know when we’re going to have the track open, there is only so much forward planning we’re able to do.

“Everybody is poised, ready and waiting.”

Councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan asked if the visa delay meant a greater risk of bad weather affecting the project.

“They get their visa, they turn up, and it rains for a month. What’s the plan and who is going to pay if they have to be here longer?”

Council chief executive David Langford said it was a fixed-price contract.

“A normal practice in these kinds of things is that [there’s an] expectation our contractors would price in risk for time delays for normal, seasonal weather.

“They would have to come back to us and prove something was truly exceptional - way over and above what would be reasonable for them to price when they were tendering for the work.”

The velodrome was closed in February 2021 for safety reasons.