$40 million dollars for rotten wharves

BY DAVE BURGESS AND MATT CALMAN

Serious safety concerns have closed one of Wellington's crumbling wharves to the public and another could follow as ratepayers face a repair bill of more than $40 million.

Port company CentrePort has closed the dilapidated Waterloo Wharf, forcing the Wellington Maritime Police and the Dive Squad to find a new base.

The state of the piles under the outer-T at Queens Wharf could also see it closed within 18 months unless Wellington City Council finds $3.5 million for repairs.

But if the wharf was to be used for cruise liners, the cost of repairs and strengthening could hit $20m.

Work is also needed under other parts of Queens Wharf, the Overseas Passenger Terminal and Taranaki St Wharf  which could bring the total repair bill  to more than $40m.

Large vehicles have been banned from the outer-T, which is supported by about 1000 hardwood timber piles dating back to 1865.

About a third have either completely failed or lost up to 80 per cent of their original weight bearing capacity.

Taken under Queens Wharf in a canoe to view the rotting piles first-hand, Mayor Kerry Prendergast said some of the holes in the protective copper sleeves were so big you could fit three fists through them. .

''There's just nothing inside. The timber has completely rotted. At the water line where the rot happens some of [the piles] are completely disconnected. I was appalled and frightened.''

Wellington Waterfront chief executive Ian Pike said if $3.5m was not spent on immediate repairs ''we will have to close the wharf.

"We simply aren't prepared to put the public at risk.''

Helipro Helicopters is based on the outer-T. Chief executive Rick Lucas said the waterfront site was used for many emergency service callouts.

"Strategically it is a very important base. We hope that it is seen as a prudent spend by the council to upgrade it and make it safe for continued use.''

The outer-T piles would have been repaired by developers of the proposed Hilton Hotel if the Environment Court had not blocked the proposal.

Lawyer Richard Cathie acted for the failed Hilton developer.

"Some of the expert evidence given by engineers made it very plain at the time of the hearing that ... if the Hilton didn't go ahead as proposed then there would be no option but to get the ratepayers to pay for it.''

Ms Prendergast said if the Overseas Passenger Terminal revamp was also scuppered in the Environment Court  the appeal hearing finished on Tuesday  it would be ''a disaster for the city''.

Ratepayers would have to foot a bill of between $10m and $20m for fixing the piles, which the developer would otherwise pay for, she said.

Safety concerns on the outer-T mirror those on Waterloo Wharf, which was closed two weeks ago by owner  CentrePort, said its chief executive, Blair O'Keeffe.

"The concern is that the piles are no longer strong enough to support the weight. So in the interest of safety we decided to close the wharf.''

Wharf gates had been locked and access restricted to authorised personnel as experts considered the extent of the problem and how to fix it.

Maritime police Senior Sergeant John Bryant confirmed his unit, and the Dive Squad, were searching for a new home.

"We are working with CentrePort to try and find a suitable location but currently it's business as usual and I don't see any major impact of the operation happening.

"We are working on it as quickly as we can.''

What Happens Next?

* Public ideas competition for outer-T now launched

* It will decide what should go on the Outer-T

* A jury will be chosen to select the finalists

* Shortlist presented to the council in August

* If the council agrees, wharf strengthened to accommodate winning entry

Time Line:

* 1865 - Outer-T built with hardwood timber piles and concrete deck

* 1878-1898 - various additions to the wharf

* 1964 - Shed 1 is built

* 2000 - Council aware that piles need attention

* 2008 - Environment Court stops Hilton Hotel

* 2009 - Ratepayers face repair bill of up to $20 million for Queens Wharf

PILES OF WORK

Repairing/replacing the piles could mean:

* Rotten sections cut out, replaced, and protected with a kevlar sleeve

* A piledriver, maybe on a barge, used to hammer in replacement piles

 

 

- © Fairfax NZ News