An intimate dawn blessing at Waiheke’s Kennedy Point this morning has signified the start of on-site construction for New Zealand’s first island destination marina.

Kaumātua, Harley Wade from Ngāti Pāoa conducted the blessing. He was joined by a group of representatives from Ngāti Pāoa, Kennedy Point Marina and Heron Construction.

Ngāti Pāoa Kaiārahi, Haydn Solomon says; “Kennedy Point Marina will be unique among New Zealand marinas because all of its structures, other than the access wharf, will be floating. Located in a naturally sheltered deep bay, no initial dredging or ongoing maintenance dredging will be required.

“In addition, there will be no reclamation at this site. But best of all, unlike other New Zealand marinas, Kennedy Point Marina will leave the foreshore untouched, making it a large sheltered area for public recreation. We have been working alongside the Kennedy Point Marina team since 2016 and look forward to seeing the positive impact we believe the new Marina will bring to our whanau and the wider community of Waiheke.”

A short time after the blessing concluded, a barge was secured approximately 50 metres from the shoreline. This barge marks the first visible sign of on-site construction.

Off-site casting of pontoons started in Whangarei at the Heron Construction Factory late last year. Finished components will be towed to Kennedy Point by tug to minimise disruption to local residents.

In the lead up to on-site construction, specialist environmental ecologists have undertaken two inspections looking for any signs of active Little Blue Penguin nests that may be in the area. A third inspection with a Penguin Detection Dog was scheduled for last week but has now been delayed until early April due to Auckland’s Alert Level 3 restrictions. No work on the seawall or land will have taken place prior to this visit.

Scott Fickling, Kennedy Point Marina, Project Manager said; “Once this third inspection has taken place, our external environmental ecologists will prepare a report with their findings so that we can ensure any penguins that are suspected to inhabit the area within the construction footprint are protected.”

“Our induction process for all on-site construction workers will involve a briefing around protecting local kororā. This will include regularly checking for any signs of penguins and reporting these immediately. We have in place strict protocols which are designed to keep local marine and bird life safe in line with our granted consents.”

Tony Mair, Kennedy Point Marina, Project Director says; “On behalf of the Kennedy Point Marina team, I extend my sincere thanks to Ngāti Pāoa for today’s blessing and for their support of our vision for the Marina since the beginning. We are thrilled to finally be starting on-site construction and being one step closer to bringing New Zealand’s first island destination marina to life.”

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