First step towards mole upgrade
Work is set to begin to repair and revamp the North Mole as infrastructure work picks up.
Headed by Te Puwaha, the Whanganui Port revitalisation project, work is needed to strengthen and repair the deteriorated North and South Moles. Last week Te Puwaha said due to the complexity of the job, the North Mole upgrade is anticipated to be completed by late 2022.
The upgrade begins with construction of a rock stockpiling site on the flat dune at the end of Morgan St.
The rock stockpiling site will be in use for two years and will be fenced off in the interest of public safety. The source of rock for the North Mole reconstruction is yet to be determined. With current demands around the country, it may be a combination of sources.
Essential to an operational port, the moles are needed to define the river mouth and ensure a navigable depth is maintained for vessels.
This part of the project will be undertaken by Horizons Regional Council under the governance of Te Pu¯ waha and hapu¯ grouping, Te Mata Pu¯ au, in line with the Te Awa Tupua status and in consultation with the community generally.
Te Pu¯waha chairman Gerrard
Albert said the mouth of the river had been significantly modified over the last century and a half.
“The North Mole has fallen into a severe state of disrepair and addressing that provides an opportunity to enhance outcomes for the natural environment as well as provide a safer recreational asset.”
Horizons river management group manager Ramon Strong said they had received queries around traffic management for trucks that would pass through the area once work started.
“At this stage we are expecting around eight trucks delivering shell rock to create the rock stockpiling site each day for a period of two to three weeks. That said, we will continually review traffic movements throughout the project to ensure all efforts to mitigate noise and dust are taken,” he said.
On Monday, Te Puwaha and Te Mata Puau met community leaders to begin discussions on the construction of the North Mole and any potential impacts on community.
Te Puwaha governance group member and Whanganui community representative Jock Lee said it was a positive meeting and he was confident all steps were taken to reduce the impact of dust and noise for neighbouring properties.
Once the work is completed, Horizons contractors will remove the hardstand and return the area to its natural state.
A series of hui and public engagement meetings will be held over the coming months.
These meetings will concentrate on the Awa Training Structures and provide opportunities for the community to feed into a co-design process for the urban design elements for the North and South Moles.
To register interest for the hui and keep up to date with the project visit www.whanganui.govt.nz/port