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Further renewal work is on its way for Matiatia Wharf

The second stage of Auckland Transport’s (AT’s) renewal project at Mātiatia will begin soon, with work to be carried out on the main wharf to ensure Waiheke’s ferry infrastructure is maintained for now and into the future.

Several improvements are to be made at Mātiatia, with the first stage of work completed at the end of last year to the old wharf in preparation for the renewal required at the main wharf.

Stage two of the Mātiatia Wharf renewal project will likely commence mid to late June 2022 for approximately eight weeks. During this time the main wharf will close, and all ferry services will temporarily relocate to the old wharf while renewal work is carried out.

The project team are doing everything they can to begin and complete the works before the busy summer period and New Zealand’s international border reopens in October 2022.

This project has incurred many delays around the design and site complexities with some materials still yet to arrive from overseas.

AT’s contractors will be building the replacement structure off-site to minimise disruption as much as possible. This project is extremely complex with very tight tolerances requiring the positioning to be more accurate than usual industry tolerance standards. The project team is working through all options and methodology to manage these site risks as much as practically possible but with piling and a project that will effectively become a big jigsaw puzzle to fix it all together when on site. There is always potential site works could extend past 8 weeks. The team will do everything they can to try be off site as quickly as possible and have the ferry services return to the main wharf.

The detailed design is still to be completed for the northern berth so the physical works for the northern berth build are not expected until 2023.

Updates of when the works will commence on site will continue to be provided as the project evolves.

Temporary shelter, AT Hop machines and signage will be installed on the old wharf during the closure, and facilities in the main wharf building will remain open for use.

AT’s Ferry Services Manager, Gareth Willis, says the aim is to build the replacement structure off site so that any closure of the wharf is kept to a minimum.

“For the renewal works to safely occur, it will be necessary to close the main wharf to ferries for a short period of time while the existing items are removed, and the newly fabricated gangways and pontoons are installed,” he says

“During this time, all ferry services will operate from the old wharf and we’re working with Fullers360 to ensure the relocation happens smoothly.”

“It’s a complex project that has incurred a number of delays due to trying to find a workable solution that minimises disruption as much as possible. It now means the wharf now needs to be fixed as soon as possible.”

AT has appointed marine maintenance contractor, Heron Group, to complete the work required on the main wharf.

The work includes:

  • Pontoon replacement
  • New hydraulic platform
  • New fixed landing platform
  • A new upper gangway
  • New lower gangways for the southern berth

Image shows key areas of the Mātiatia works

Please be aware, this site has regular monitoring and if engineers determine there are any safety concerns, the main wharf will be closed prior to work starting and all ferry services will move to the old wharf.

For more information, about the project see our Mātiatia improvements page.