The Northland Regional Council has removed the Mangawhare wharf that had fallen into a state of disrepair.
The wharf, in the Kaipara, posed a safety risk. It is roughly 40 years old.
Councillor John Blackwell, who represents the NRC’s Kaipara constituency, says the Mangawhare wharf was built in the early 1980s and authorised under the then Harbours Act 1950.
Unable to locate an owner, the Northland Regional Council declared the wharf abandoned.
Councillor Blackwell says the NRC had consulted with Kaipara District Council and Heritage New Zealand about the potential historical significance of the wharf.
“The wharf was not identified through Heritage NZ as a place of significance.”
He says the regional council had fielded several calls relating to the state of the wharf and it being a Health and Safety concern. It had been sealed with locked gates and safety warnings some time ago.
The council had obtained quotes to remove the structure but, due to the significant removal cost quoted, had removed the structure itself recently in collaboration with a local contractor.
“Compliance Monitoring staff collaborated with officers from the Maritime Team and the Water Quality Field Operations Team to safely and sequentially remove the decking and foundations of the wharf, with the participation of the local contractor who disposed of the timber appropriately,” says Blackwell.
The structure was removed earlier this month.
Photography: Northland Regional Council