Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Dannevirke: Locals ramp up effort to save launch

By Christine McKay
Hawkes Bay Today·
14 Mar, 2016 05:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A 50m wall was built as temporary protection, giving workers a five-hour window as concrete footings were put into the bedrock as part of the boat ramp access at Akitio Beach. Photo / Christine McKay

A 50m wall was built as temporary protection, giving workers a five-hour window as concrete footings were put into the bedrock as part of the boat ramp access at Akitio Beach. Photo / Christine McKay

The safety of recreational fishermen and the economic survival of commercial fishing boats at Akitio are now better thanks to the local community and tradesmen pulling together to build the new boat access ramp.

Commercial fisherman Bill Fergus tows his boat up from the water using the new ramp access.
Commercial fisherman Bill Fergus tows his boat up from the water using the new ramp access.

After a combination of seasonal spring tides, a build up of driftwood over much of the beach and the loss of sand cover, the only boat access on to the beach was completely eroded and not able to be used.

Erosion had taken away much of the sand and there was a drop of 1.5m and continual scouring from waves.

A temporary rock wall and polythene was used to keep the sea at bay while work was done on the trench and ramp.
A temporary rock wall and polythene was used to keep the sea at bay while work was done on the trench and ramp.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Akitio ratepayers were concerned there would be problems over the very busy summer and commercial fishermen based at Akitio were worried the lack of access because of the erosion was affecting their livelihoods," Akitio Ratepayers Association chairman Peter Greatbatch told the Dannevirke News.

"Sergeant Bill Nicholson the Central Districts Search and Rescue (SAR) co-ordinator also strongly supported our bid for a new ramp as SAR responses rely heavily on this access for incidents at Akitio and as far north as Herbertville."

Rescues and searches are undertaken with the support of Akitio residents and in particular the cray boats and private boats which operate off the beach.

Late last year the Tararua District Council agreed to pay $30,000 towards the cost of the new access.

"It's a matter of life or death," councillor Jim Crispin said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And Tararua District mayor Roly Ellis said there was no doubt something had to be done.

Prenters Ready Mix trucks delivering the 50m of concrete which was poured by Manawatu Concrete Pumping.
Prenters Ready Mix trucks delivering the 50m of concrete which was poured by Manawatu Concrete Pumping.

"It [the access] was dangerous. The work was a real necessity because the access is very heavily used by local fishermen and the public," he said. "The work has been a great success and the project carried out extremely quickly and I'd like to thank Horizons Regional Council and local iwi for their help with the resource consent.

"Peter (Greatbatch) as project manager, did a wonderful job co-ordinating it all and I think there was a realisation by everyone that the new ramp needed to be in by Christmas."

Mr Greatbatch said everyone is very happy they can get on to the beach.

Discover more

Dannevirke: Tiger Moth Club swoops on airfield

10 Mar 05:30 PM

Dannevirke: Red Hatters return profit to community

13 Mar 05:30 PM

Dannevirke: Operation aims to avert truck crashes

13 Mar 05:20 PM

Dannevirke: Chess making its stage moves

15 Mar 05:30 PM
Access to Akitio Beach was left high and dry, causing problems for boaties and those involved in rescues.
Access to Akitio Beach was left high and dry, causing problems for boaties and those involved in rescues.

"There's a real peace of mind, knowing it's accessible now. Before this work was carried out the only way to get boats out was along the beach by the toilets, but with rocks exposed it was a case of playing dodgems and it was dangerous.

"The big thing with this project is that locals and tradesmen went out of their way to support it, supplying labour, machinery and materials at reduced rates."

Since completion, boats have been called on to help with rescues and Mr Greatbatch said the ramp "has made such a difference.

"So many people stepped up to help, we worked like mad men. It was quite a mission, but now it's working so well there's a real sense of achievement."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Premium
Opinion

Matariki is the ‘door to the new year’: Te Hira Henderson

20 Jun 07:00 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Watch: Forestry skidder tipped over cliff after logging company goes bust

20 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Opinion

Hastings stable claims another Waikato Hurdle win in mixed day: John Jenkins

20 Jun 06:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Premium
Matariki is the ‘door to the new year’: Te Hira Henderson

Matariki is the ‘door to the new year’: Te Hira Henderson

20 Jun 07:00 PM

OPINION: Matariki not the only star in the sky.

Premium
Watch: Forestry skidder tipped over cliff after logging company goes bust

Watch: Forestry skidder tipped over cliff after logging company goes bust

20 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Hastings stable claims another Waikato Hurdle win in mixed day: John Jenkins

Hastings stable claims another Waikato Hurdle win in mixed day: John Jenkins

20 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Nick Stewart: The dangerous allure of investment folklore

Nick Stewart: The dangerous allure of investment folklore

20 Jun 06:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP