Tender seeks rocks to repair Whanganui's North Mole

An area off Morgan St has been fenced off, and will store the rocks needed to repair the North Mole. Photo / Supplied

An "exciting plan" for Whanganui's North Mole is set to be revealed at a public meeting in August.

A draft concept plan will be presented at a Te Pūwaha public hui to be held on August 10 at the Duncan Pavilion in Castlecliff. Te Pūwaha is the name of the Whanganui port revitalisation project.

At the hui, project representatives will present aspirations for community amenities and tourism, along with plans for dune restoration to encourage an abundance of natural life, which in turn supports fishing and enjoyment of the space.

"We are incredibly excited about the concept plan for the area; it will be transformative for our community and become a location we are all proud of," Te Pūwaha chairman Gerrard Albert said.

"We encourage you to come to the public hui so you can see these plans first hand."

Further information on the hui will be made available in coming weeks.

Horizons Regional Council has recently gone to market to request rock supply tenders for the North Mole reconstruction works.

Under Te Pūwaha, Horizons leads the work to strengthen and repair the deteriorating North and South moles. These repairs are essential to enable an operational port, as they define the river mouth and ensure a navigable depth is maintained for vessels, while also protecting port infrastructure from flooding.

"The rock required for the North Mole has to be of significant density and have suitable soundness, abrasion and weathering characteristics, while also being able to provide a suitable habitat to support marine ecosystems in and around the North Mole," Horizons project engineer Dougal Ross said.

"While it was initially thought that rock from the local Waitahinga Quarry might be suitable, it is currently dormant and therefore rock supply needs to be sought from elsewhere.

"Tenders we receive will also be assessed on price and how they will uphold Tupua Te Kawa, social procurements outcomes, project management ability, the company's track record and resources."

Albert said an important aspect of the rock's procurement was that the successful contractor must demonstrate an ability to work in line with the values of Te Awa Tupua, even though the rock might be sourced outside the catchment.

"It is a requirement that sourcing of rock is conducted consistent with the community values of Te Pūwaha at the location of the rock source. Those small things are important," Albert said.

Construction of the North Mole is planned to begin this summer and will involve removing exposed rubble and steel bars. Works on the mole will be carried out at low tide as much as possible, with clean rock to reduce the risk of adding to the existing sediment load in the Whanganui River.

"We are also conscious of the impact on those who use the area for recreational activities," Ross said.

"During the construction period we will work on small sections at a time so there will always be accessible fishing spots."

As part of the works, the two fishing platforms along the river embankment will be removed temporarily. They will be replaced and, depending on funding, two additional fishing platforms will be installed.

Plans are under way to ensure that the access roads, shared pathways and parking areas disturbed during construction are reinstated in a way that works better for the environment and for users.

For project updates, visit www.whanganui.govt.nz/port or email portproject@whanganui.govt.nz