NEW ZEALAND: Onehunga wharf to lose cement boats

Cement boats docking at Onehunga port are set to become a thing of the past.

Holcim New Zealand is constructing a new cement silo at the Waitemata port and cement ships will relocate from the Onehunga Port to the new site.

At present the Ports of Auckland-owned Onehunga wharf is closed to the public.

Despite the relocation, a Holcim spokesperson says Onehunga Port will continue to be used by the company as a bagging plant and the silos will remain operational.

The port is also used for shipping container storage and as a base for the Sandford fishing fleet.

Bronwen Turner from the Manukau Harbour Restoration Society says the relocation of the boats provides an opportunity for the development of the wharf as a community amenity.

Results from an AUT University survey on the use of tourism potential of the Manukau Harbour were released in November 2014, showing overwhelming support for the redevelopment of the wharf.

An 18-month investigation carried out by ferry giant SeaLink was completed in September 2014. It looked at whether a service could operate from Onehunga to areas like Clarks Beach and Waiuku.

However a ferry service would need access to the port, Turner says.

"Its the only wharf we have in the Manukau Harbour. It is really the lynch pin to having a ferry service operating in the harbour."

A spokesperson for Ports of Auckland said the wharf will stay closed to the public for now, but did not rule out a change in the future.

"There are a lot of heavy freight movements associated with these operations and it would not be safe to open the port to the public.

"It is clear that there is potential for the wharf to be developed along the lines of the Wynyard Quarter at some point in the future. 

"It will be important for the community to be involved before any plans are put in place."

The new Holcim Waitemata terminal is expected to be completed by mid 2016, with the relocation of the cement boats planned shortly after.