If all you wanted for Christmas was a new jetty, Kenepuru Sound residents have got that wish.

Construction on the Waitaria Bay jetty, located in Kenepuru Sound in Marlborough, was completed late last week.

Marlborough Roads Transport Recovery Manager Steve Murrin said while the jetty was open, there were still some finishing works to be completed in the New Year.

“As per our construction plan, the jetty has been completed to a stage where it is usable for Christmas. There are no handrails yet though so users need to take extreme care, and no quadbikes can use the jetty at this stage – it is for pedestrian use only,” he said.

Marlborough Sounds Ward councillor Barbara Faulls said having the jetty open and functional for Christmas was a “wonderful boost for the community” and would relieve a lot of stress.

“This jetty is a vital lifeline for not only the school families, but for the wider community who rely on it to bring in groceries, to access water taxis or private boats in times of need, and to allow residents to go about their normal day to day life. The time and effort put in by the Egypt contractors has been much appreciated,” Councillor Faulls said.

The jetty was damaged in the August 2022 storm when a landslide lifted the section of the jetty closest to land and shunted the seaward portion of the jetty forward. At the time, some emergency maintenance was undertaken to reopen it, with a load restriction of five people at a time imposed.

It was closed to the public earlier this year after a routine inspection found some of the structural components in the jetty had deteriorated significantly since its last inspection in mid-2023. Mr Murrin said at the time the old jetty was well past its prime.

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