In 2019, Waikato District Council and the Raglan Community Board received funding from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) for the redevelopment of the Whaaingaroa wharf and wider harbour.
This funding has been allocated to three exciting projects, to transform the wharf and wider harbour now and in the future. These include:
Further funding has also been received from the Government’s Better Off Fund for a fourth project:
Latest News
Concreting complete
The concrete has been prepped and poured for the seawall, kerb on the eastern walkway, and the kayak ramp and stairs. Now we can focus on the finishing touches to the eastern pathway, wharf and pontoon. Find out more below.
The seawall, eastern walkway and kayak ramp
Trucks have delivered several hundred tonnes of volcanic basalt
paddock boulders to the eastern side of the wharf which have been used to
construct a seawall.
Council contractors have poured concrete for the seawall, as
well as kerbing on the eastern walkway, and
the kayak ramp and stairs.
With the concreting work complete, we can now focus on the final
surface finishes, like laying the asphalt for the eastern walkway.
Thank you for your understanding as we complete this key piece
of work.
Aerial shot of the pontoon and gangway after installation.
Installing the pontoon
The new pontoon was installed in late March. The prefabricated
parts of the pontoon were delivered to site by truck and lifted into the water
by crane.
Once in the water, crew members attached the pontoon pieces to a
barge and floated them out to the piles. The three segments were floated out
separately, secured to a pile, and then attached to each other out on the
water.
Next to be installed was the gangway. This is the section of
walkway that will connect the new pontoon to the eastern walkway.
The prefabricated pieces were delivered to site and the three
segments were lifted into place by crane onto two piles.
With the pontoon and gangway installed, one of
the finishing touches will be to install solar powered lighting along the
gangway and piles of the pontoon.
We expect to have this complete by early June
2023. From there we will be looking to open the pontoon to the community.
We’ll let you know more about this closer to the time.
Handrail
New handrails to replace the existing ones on Dolphin Pier and the eastern and western sides of the wharf have been delivered ready for installation.
Each section of handrail paneling will be installed progressively, with multiple crew working on the wharf in several areas. The Dolphin Pier is temporarily closed while we do this, and the edge of the wharf is cordoned off.
We expect that this will be complete, with the Dolphin Pier reopened, in late May – early June.
Boat ramp closure
We’re looking forward to officially opening the new pontoon in mid-June alongside our Mana Whenua partners. While we do this, the boat ramp will be closed for around one-two hours from 7am – 9am on June 16, 2023. Traffic management will be in place during this time to redirect vehicles. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Learn more about the pontoon design and build.
What’s happening now?
The new pontoon and gangway have been installed, and now we’re just completing the finishing touches to the lighting and the surface of the eastern walkway.
We expect to complete construction by early – mid June 2023.
We’ll keep you updated about when this will be open to the public.
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