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Whanganui Port is seeking a long-term dredging consent as the next major milestone in Te Pūwaha – the Whanganui Port revitalisation project .
According to Whanganui District Council, this long-term consent will eventually replace the priority dredging consent for the port basin, which has a term of two years and was approved early in 2023.
The priority dredging consent currently allows Whanganui Port operators to dredge immediately around the three main wharves and along the Wharf Street boat ramp.
“ Te Pūwaha is premised on relationships and it is vital that all parts of our community see their value and voice within the project ,” Whanganui District Council said.
The proposed dredging application is being approached in this way to ensure all work is done in a way that includes the whole community and recognises the legal status of the Whanganui River under the 2017 Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act.
The long-term dredging consent application, scheduled to be lodged in March 2024, will cover the removal of sediment within the whole Whanganui Port basin and river bar, with spoil to be released back into the main channel of the Whanganui River, immediately downstream of the basin during outbound river flows.
The dredging application will also include a proposal to close the hole in the training wall, to future proof the port basin and reduce the flow of floating debris.