“It will dig its way in and move the material through a pipe out to the awa.”
Sediment would be disposed of at the current discharge site adjacent to the Te Anau wreck in the river wall, he said.
“The disposal location is an area where sediment naturally flows, ensuring minimal disruption to the river’s natural processes and respecting the health of Te Awa Tupua.”
Evans said closing the ramp was necessary to allow widening of the port channel before the whitebait season from September 1 until the end of October.
In a statement, the port said the ramp would be closed from mid-August until August 31.
“Weather and conditions permitting, dredging will take place seven days a week, during daylight hours.
“The ramp will be closed for the duration to ensure public safety and allow uninterrupted access and movement for the Kawatiri.
“If boat operators wish to access the awa during the ramp closure period, they can do so from the Pūtiki boat ramp.”
A 40-tonne amphibious excavator, which began operating at the port in January, will work alongside the Kawatiri.
Wanganui Manawatū Sea Fishing Club Commodore Jamie Newell said while the boat ramp closure was a short-term inconvenience, the long-term benefits made up for it.
Newell said the club looked forward to greater access in and out of the port basin in the future.
Emergency access for Coastguard Whanganui would be maintained throughout the closure, the port said.
“A Whanganui Port representative will continue to be on-site during dredging hours to support safety and answer community queries.”
Evans said bringing the Kawatiri to Whanganui did not mean increasing existing dredging budgets.
“We were always looking at the Kawatiri as an option, and it just aligned.
“There is an area we need to dredge pretty quickly, and they were able to mobilise and slot us in.
“They have only recently added the cutter suction assembly on the front of the ship, so it’s a trial for them as much as us in terms of proving the concept.”
The port said work continued towards a long-term dredging consent, which would cover a focused working area, rather than the full basin as originally planned.
“This targeted approach balances cost, environmental considerations and the need for a functional and sustainable port.”
Kahurangi Simon, representative of Te Mata Pūau (the hapū collective steering the project), said the proposed long-term dredging consent application upheld the values of Te Awa Tupua and “our shared obligations to protect the health and mouri of the river”.
“We are incredibly proud of the work that has been undertaken to get to this point and look forward to sharing our plans with the wider community in the coming weeks,” he said.
Work to renew Wharf 3 at the port, budgeted at $11 million, began in June.
It involves demolishing the existing wharf structure, installing new sheet piling and a rock revetment, and building a reinforced concrete wharf structure.
Port work, undertaken by Whanganui District Council, is part of the Te Pūwaha partnership, which brings together the council, iwi, Horizons Regional Council, Q-West Boat Builders and Whanganui District Employment Training Trust.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
