Jump start for revamped wharf
Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry and National MP Chris Bishop have reopened Days Bay Wharf with a triumphant ‘‘manu’’ into Wellington harbour.
‘‘I’ve been googling how to perfect a manu. I’m pretty sure my splash was higher than Chris’,’’ said Barry. Bishop was gracious in defeat. ‘‘Campbell’s was much better than mine,’’ he said.
More than a hundred people gathered in Days Bay for a karakia and speeches to mark the completion of a $4.6 million refurbishment of the 126-year-old wharf yesterday.
The project had taken two years to complete and was designed to extend the life of the wharf for another 50 years.
Council strategic adviser Bruce
Hodgins said that only after work began on the wharf did the degree of deterioration become apparent. ‘‘The piles were barely standing up. ‘‘They were hollowed out and only held together by mussel shells really,’’ Hodgins said.
To fix the wharf, 164 cubic metres of concrete decking was removed and replaced with fibreglass composite covering. A large proportion of the wharf’s timber piles. Bracing and beams had been replaced.
Yesterday, Barry said the wharf had been a feature of Days Bay life for generations, and he was pleased to see it back in the community’s hands.
‘‘The Days Bay Wharf is an important piece of community infrastructure. It has been a daily part of local people’s lives and a focal point for the wider city for 125 years, so it’s fitting to celebrate this occasion alongside the community,’’ Barry said.
The project was delayed by Covid-19. It was originally projected to take one year and cost $3m when it was announced in 2019.
Jeremy Ward, of East West ferries, said he was ‘‘thrilled’’ that the work had been completed without interrupting the ferry service.
‘‘It’s an integral part of Eastbourne and Days Bay. I drove out here the other day and I can really see why people love the ferry,’’ Ward said.
Hodgins said the continued operation of the ferry service to Wellington during the refurbishment had been crucial for the local community.
The wharf was the second of four in the area to be upgraded.