Public urged to have their say on future of old wharf
‘‘The Petone wharf is a luxury that no longer can be afforded or justified.’’ Max Shierlaw
Former city councillor and council critic
It is time for a conversation on the future of the Petone wharf.
The much-loved wharf is currently closed after five piles were damaged in recent earthquakes.
In 2018, the city council budgeted $8 million to repair the wharf, which at 393 metres is one of the longest structures in Wellington Harbour.
The work, however, is not scheduled until 2032, and there is general agreement that the cost is likely to be significantly higher. The cost of the current repairs is also unknown.
Mayor Campbell Barry said the wharf was clearly in poor condition, and the council wanted to know what the public thought about its future.
The work planned for 2032 includes removing the last 50 or so metres of the wharf, a large platform that is popular with fishermen and swimmers.
A detailed report being prepared by engineers will provide more up-to-date information on the extent of the work required and the likely cost.
The council is expecting report soon.
Former city councillor and council critic Max Shierlaw has already called for an ‘‘honest’’ debate on the future of the wharf.
‘‘The Petone wharf is a luxury that no longer can be afforded or justified,’’ Shierlaw said.
Barry said he believed there would be little support for removing the wharf, but more information was needed to make an informed decision.
Earthquakes, marine worms and southerly storms have damaged the wharf’s piles to the point where some move in the wind.
A report by marine engineers G K Shaw after the latest damage makes grim to get the reading for those who favour repairing and retaining the wharf.
Parts of the structure are riddled with marine worms, and a significant number of piles are rated as being in ‘‘very poor’’ or ‘‘poor’’ condition. Very poor means the piles have already failed, or that failure is imminent and that significant work is ‘‘urgently’’ required.
Accurately assessing the state of the piles is not straightforward, as the damage done by worms is not always visible.
Barry said politicians were unlikely to favour removing the wharf. He favoured getting the work planned for 2032 done as quickly as possible, and he hoped it could be included in this year’s Long Term Community Plan.
He believed there was strong support for retaining repairing the wharf.
‘‘It is a very much loved piece of Lower Hutt history.’’
In 2019, former All Blacks captain and Petone community stalwart Andy Leslie called for a debate on the wharf. He argued that the money required to repair it could be better spent on a sports hub for water sports like waka ama and rowing.
The old landmark
community and
The first Petone Wharf was built in 1883 for the Gear Meat Company, to enable the refrigerated ship Jubilee to berth safely and load frozen meat for Europe.
By 1901 the wharf was dangerously rotten and had to be demolished.
The current wharf was built in 1907 from Australian hardwood.