Russell Wharf

Work on the $1.281m Russell Wharf upgrade project, contracted to Bellingham Marine, will start on Friday April 26 and is expected to last until the end of August. The Provincial Growth Fund has contributed $1.114m to this project.

Work will start after Easter and avoids interfering with the operation of the wharf during the peak tourism season. Far North Holdings has consulted with regular commercial users of the wharf and has agreed a schedule of works to ensure that the wharf remains operational during this period.

All elements of the wharf upgrade have been subject to extensive community consultation and Far North Holdings has incorporated changes that include some the feedback received.

The company has agreed to a request from Kororareka Marae to delay the construction of the proposed new wharf building until such time as the new entity that will represent the community in the joint management of the wharf has been established.

Kororareka Marae has concerns over toilets being incorporated in the new wharf building (a requirement of building consent) and about the sewerage pump-out station for non-commercial vessels that had previously been incorporated in plans for the upgrade of Russell Wharf. The marae has expressed cultural concerns around the issue of sewerage over water.

A ‘hold’ on work relating to these facilities will enable further discussion on these matters with the new joint wharf management entity that will represent the Russell community.

Other consented work programmed for the wharf, funded through the PGF, will start as planned on 26 April 2019 with the agreement of the community and the marae.

Paihia Wharf

Work on the $4.698m Paihia Wharf upgrade project, contracted to United Civil, will start in early April and is expected to last until the end of October. The Provincial Growth Fund has contributed $3.77m to this project.

The upgrade includes widening the main wharf walkway which is currently heavily congested three times a day. This will result in a much more open and pleasant experience, allowing the public to better enjoy the wharf.

A public dinghy dock will be built, and an additional two pontoons installed to provide four extra commercial berths. A new pier will service these berths. A sewage pump will be installed on the fuel jetty to relieve pressure at the Opua pumping station and to encourage vessel masters to pump out holding tanks there instead of at sea.

Opua Pontoon

Bellingham Marine will start work in May on the $1.447m pontoon planned for Opua Wharf. Completion is scheduled for August. The Provincial Growth Fund has contributed $890,000 to this project.


Work on the Russell Wharf upgradeproject, contracted to Bellingham Marine, will
start on FridayApril 26 and is expected to last until the end of August.

 

Work on the Paihia Wharf upgrade project will start in early April and is expected to last until the end of October.


About Far North Holdings Ltd

Far North Holdings Limited (FNHL) is responsible for managing and operating the commercial activities of the Far North District Council. These include Port Opua, Bay of Islands Marina, Kaitaia and Bay of Islands Airports, Paihia Maritime Buildings and Paihia Wharf, Williams Road Car Park and the Kaitaia Education Campus.

Since 2005 all of FNHL’s trading surplus has either been distributed to the Far North District Council or reinvested in property and infrastructure within the Far North District. The Far North District Council estimates that without this financial contribution general rates would have been approximately four percent a year higher, each year, over this period.

FNHL’s mandate includes the support and development of economic activity in the Far North.