Demolition of Whanganui wharf shed nears completion

The Victory Shed at Whanganui Port should be fully demolished by Christmas. Photo / Bevan Conley

The asbestos roof of the Victory Shed at Whanganui Port had to be removed manually during the shed's demolition because the wharf it stood on wouldn't support heavy machinery.

The demolition is Whanganui District Council's part of the $50 million Te Pūwaha port revitalisation project. The demolition was needed because three-quarters of the land the 1940s shed stands on has subsided and it can no longer bear weight.

The roof was removed in September and October. The sheets were wrapped and taken to Bonny Glen Landfill, a Whanganui District Council spokeswoman said.

After WorkSafe clearance, the rest of the demolition could proceed.

Everything that has other uses will be salvaged and stored. The shed's concrete walls will be broken down and used in site rehabilitation during the project - but the metal roof frame had deteriorated and will go to landfill.

When the shed is gone the land it stands on will be remediated, to support planned marine precinct buildings and facilities.

A photographic record of the shed has been made, and the archaeologist working with the council and hapū collective Te Mata Pūau will prepare a full archaeological report.

There are sinkholes appearing weekly in the area around the shed. The ground will only bear the weight of pedestrians and must be bolstered to take heavy machinery.

It's dangerous to access the wharves and construction site or to swim there, and signs warn of this.

The council has finished just over half of the work it is contributing to the port project, the spokeswoman said. It will lodge consent before Christmas and look for building contractors in early 2022.

More significant than the work itself is the collaborative way it is being done. The contractor is working with both council and Te Mata Pūau, under Tupua Te Kawa, to ensure safety and the wellbeing of the river.

"It's anticipated that overtime working in this exemplary way will ensure a safe demolition for the workers and the public and contribute to local contractors building their own knowledge of working within the Te Awa Tupua framework," the spokeswoman said.