Gisborne District Council is preparing to reopen Tolaga Bay Wharf to its halfway point by the end of February, 2024.

The wharf has been temporarily closed since January 2023, due to impacts from Cyclone Hale.

Further large swells during 2023 continued to cause major deterioration with two piles missing at the berth, steel rods hanging from the structure, significant corrosion of concrete and reinforced steel exposed on beams.

However, the focus is to reopen this structure, a valued fishing spot for the community, to the halfway point by the end of February.

This allows time to measure the depth at low and high tide from the halfway point, alter and galvanize materials and to finalise safety signage.

In the new year, a computer scanning survey will be run on the structure. This will provide more qualitative data of the structural condition and can be used as a benchmark to compare with future surveys.

It will also provide a visual of the deterioration to assist with future decisions.

Gisborne District Council thanks everyone for their continued patience with the wharf’s closure over summer.

© Scoop Media