Delays in reopening Auckland's Northcote Point Wharf draw ire

Wednesday, 13 November 2019

60-year-old Northcote Point Wharf will not be reopening by the end of the year, as was originally promised by Auckland Transport.

Further delays reopening an Auckland wharf have frustrated locals, who expected their ferry to be back by the year's end.

Repairs to Northcote Point Wharf on the North Shore, which closed in June 2018, were scheduled for completion by the end of 2019. But Auckland Transport (AT) announced on Wednesday that the 'final design to make the wharf safe' was too expensive for its current budget.

AT said an internal review was underway to figure out if the project could be allocated more funding, and aimed to make that decision within the coming weeks. It did not say when the wharf could be operational again.

Councillor for the North Shore Ward Richard Hills said AT had continuously reassured him the repairs were on track; he couldn't 'understand how it's suddenly gone from all being on track, to this'.

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'Today was the first I heard about it not being OK, and this is after a long period of pestering AT for updates.'

Hills said the Northcote community had been 'extremely patient' but fully expected to have a ferry service again by January next year at the latest.

'Now we're suddenly in limbo again. It's so frustrating and I'm angry, to be honest.

'Another delay for our community after such a long wait is outrageous and they should apologise for giving us those expectations.'

AT's portfolio delivery director David Nelson said on Wednesday that the wharf essentially needed to be rebuilt – rather than 'the simple repair originally envisaged'.

'We want to make sure we get it right especially with the upcoming construction of the SeaPath and SkyPath.'

Around 80 people had used the Northcote Point ferry daily, said AT.

The 60-year old wharf closed when routine maintenance inspections found wooden structural pieces had deteriorated.