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Waikato District Council - Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato

The Pontoon Design and Build

We know our community loves the water and everything to do with it, whether it’s for recreational activities like fishing, gathering kaimoana and boating, or for commercial activities.

We also know how busy the wharf and existing pontoon can become – particularly during peak season, and how there is more demand than ever for space to load and unload boats and jet skis.

That’s why we are looking to construct a new pontoon at the eastern side of the wharf.

A second pontoon will give the wharf more capacity for the community who rely on the water to live, work and travel, while making the harbour more accessible for recreational, rescue and commercial activities.

What's happening now?

The pontoon, kayak ramp and eastern walkway are now complete and open to the public, as of mid-June 2023. New handrails have also been installed on the Dolphin Pier, and on the eastern side of the wharf as part of this work.

  • The Wahine Moe moored at the end of the pontoon

    The Wahine Moe moored at the end of the pontoon

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Project milestones

  1. November 2021
    Investigations such as underwater mapping and geotechnical and arborist surveys underway
  2. February - July 2022
    The construction of the wharf is tendered and pontoon design is finalised.
  3. July 2022
    Final design is shared with the community.
  4. March 2023
    Construction is underway.
  5. June 2023
    Construction complete, and new pontoon opened to the community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know more? We’ve put together some FAQs to help answer some of those burning questions.

The eastern side of the wharf has been selected because it is the closest location to the boat ramp which will make it easier to maneuver boats in and out of the water. It is also a deeper location which allows us to build a longer pontoon and is better suited because it won’t affect the beach on the west side of the wharf and avoids the boat haul out facility.
We considered this location but found the conditions were not as ideal and it is further away from the boat ramp negating some of the benefits of having a second pontoon for getting boats in and out of the water.

Last year, as part of the early stages of this project, we held two workshops with community representatives to discuss the project and possible locations for the wharf. Using feedback gathered at these workshops and through further investigations, the east of the wharf was determined as the most suitable location for the new pontoon.

We also know there is a desire within the community for a second pontoon to help meet growing demand on the wharf and existing pontoon for recreational and commercial uses.

In 2019, Waikato District Council and the Raglan Community Board were granted $2.5 million in funding from the Provincial Growth Fund. This has been allocated to this project and three projects which are focused on the improvement of the wharf and wider harbour now and into the future.

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