KEY POINTS:
Vehicles have been banned from one of the most popular spots for fishing and sight-seeing on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour, the Devonport Wharf.
North Shore City Council yesterday closed the 80-year-old wharf to vehicles, pending an engineering investigation of the concrete structure and repairs.
"We are keeping vehicles off as a public safety precaution on engineering advice," said the council's group manager for transport infrastructure, Phil Consedine.
He said there was concern about the state of repair of the wharf's deck and its ability to take the weight of up to 40 vehicles at once, including trucks serving the vintage steam tug William C Daldy, which is berthed there.
"People can still fish there, there's no danger. It's just they can't drive on."
He said general structural repairs had to be done but the extent of the work and its cost would not be known until after a review in the New Year.
The wharf, which is known as Victoria Wharf, is separate to the ferry wharves and was built by the former Auckland Harbour Board in steel-reinforced concrete.
The council acquired the wharf in 2002 with the ferry wharves, and says the structure has deteriorated rapidly in recent years.
Investigations next month will determine whether it can be repaired or should be demolished.
The trust, which runs the tug, will continue to use the berth and is making alternative arrangements for loading supplies and coal.
Devonport resident and city councillor Chris Darby said he was alarmed by such a drastic requirement and concerned that councillors were not alerted to the wharf's poor condition earlier.
"It's a busy recreational wharf ... and we are heading into the peak recreation season," he said.
"The wharf is also used for parking for wharf shops and overflow parking for ferry commuters."
The council said there was enough parking in the immediate vicinity for the displaced vehicles, and no further consideration or action was intended.
