A complete rebuild of Drummonds Jetty and upgrades to Daly’s Wharf were required to enable them to be used as alternatives when Akaroa Wharf undergoes a planned rebuild.
A 2018 assessment of Akaroa Wharf identified it was reaching the end of its useful life and ongoing repair and maintenance was not economical.
Christchurch City Council head of parks Rupert Bool says Drummonds Jetty will be opened from 9am on Wednesday, December 18, while Daly’s Wharf will re-open on the afternoon of Friday, December 20.
“It’s fantastic they will both be operational again over summer. We know the community will also be happy to see this progress, as it means we are getting closer to work being able to start on Akaroa Wharf.”
Drummonds Jetty will be equipped with a floating pontoon and once installed, the entire configuration will extend 108m into Akaroa Harbour, giving sufficient depth for recreational and commercial operators to access the pontoon during low tide. However, the pontoon will not open until early February due to the delay of a crucial component, the timber walers.
Mr Bool says the wait will be worth it, with the pontoon anchored to the seabed with screw piles and elastic moorings instead of traditional piles.
“On top of saving money, the system we are using offers several other benefits. These include minimised disturbance to marine life during installation, more working space on the pontoon with one 40m long pontoon instead of two 20m long pontoons, as well as unobstructed harbour views from the pontoon.”
Daly’s Wharf has also had strengthening and repair work carried out and some of the timber decking replaced. New services including water and lighting has been installed.
As Akaroa Wharf is prepared for closure, the diesel bowser from Akaroa Wharf will be relocated to Daly’s Wharf and a new crane will be installed. The bowser and crane will be temporary fixtures at Daly’s and re-installed at Akaroa Wharf when the rebuild is complete. At this time, the shelter, which has been temporarily relocated to the adjacent park, will also be reinstated to the end of Daly’s Wharf once again.
Construction of the new Akaroa Wharf is expected to begin in early 2026, following the appointment of a contractor to carry out the work and resource consent approval. The wharf will be raised 500-600mm from its current level to build resilience from future sea level rise.
“The resource consent will be publicly notified, with a public hearing expected to be held in late 2025. We hope to finish the Akaroa Wharf rebuild in 2027,” Mr Bool says.
Additional Geotech drilling is planned for the second half of February 2025, causing small areas of Akaroa Wharf to be closed off for public safety. More information will be provided closer to the time.
A community information session will be held early in the new year to update the community on design, timeframes and impacts of the Akaroa Wharf rebuild.
For more information, see the Akaroa Wharf Project page and to stay updated on Akaroa Wharf progress, subscribe to our newsletter by following this link.
