Owenga Wharf Opened By MP

Annette King, Member of Parliament for the Chatham Islands, travelled to the islands recently open Owenga Wharf.

The rebuilding of the wharf was a massive project for the islands with the transportation of materials and equipment by sea.

“Owenga Wharf is part of State Highway 1. It’s the main highway between Pitt Island and Chatham Island just as Waitangi Wharf is State Highway 1 between New Zealand and the Chathams,” said Annette King.

Coastal shipping was vitally important to the Chathams’ livelihood, she said, and Government needed to invest as much in this area as it does with roads.

“It is crucial that the $20 million, that was approved when I was Minister of Transport, should be freed up by Government to be used to update Waitangi Airport, Waitangi Wharf, the breakwater and the park to be used as a wind farm,” Annette King said.

The old Owenga Wharf was unsafe and needed major rebuilding, said Owen Pickles, general manager of the Chatham Islands Council.

“This is a huge project for the islands in terms of timeframe and logistics,” Mr Pickles said. Annette King also said she was impressed with Mr Pickles’ work to get the funding approved for the project.

“We started the rebuilding in July after the period when the wharf is heavily used at the start of the new fishing season as crayfish pots are put out to sea.”

Owenga Wharf is one of the first wharves in New Zealand to have an early warning system for tsunami.

The wharf was constructed in three stages - drilling and installing new piles, installing the beams and decking and then installing the fender system.

Christchurch-based MWH New Zealand managed the project with Hunter Makeri Joint Venture as contractors.

Progress on the project was slowed initially because the drilling required in the hard basalt was difficult.

“Completing the rebuild, however, happened on time and on budget and we are really happy with our new wharf,” said Mr Pickles.

Chatham Islands’ Mayor Patrick Smith described the wharf as a “workable piece of art”.

Annette King also thanked him for his 18 years as Mayor of the Chatham Islands.

“He isn’t like any other politician I’ve ever met,” she said, “He is a passionate advocate for these islands.”

Patrick Smith has resigned as Mayor with Deputy Mayor Alfred Preece replacing him until the elections.

Click to enlarge
Caption: Labour Deputy Leader Annette King with the people who worked on the project. From left to right are Steve Baker (Makeri Construction), Wayne Osmers (NZ Transport Authority), Bryan Peters, Murray Keast and Andrew McDonald from MWH NZ Ltd, Mayor Patrick Smith and Chatham Islands Council General Manager Owen Pickles.

ENDS

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