Project partners develop plan to manage contamination at new boat harbour site
Project partners for Te Rāhui Herenga Waka, the new boat harbour for Whakatāne, have met to discuss progress and their continued commitment to the project in the light of the identification of additional contaminates at the boat harbour site.
John Rae
Te Rāhui Herenga Waka is a partnership between Te Rāhui Lands Trust, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings, Whakatāne District Council, and the Government. Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Whakatāne 2021 Limited Partnership, Chaired by John Rae, is the company responsible for the project’s delivery.
“Many Whakatāne District residents are aware of previous industry practice, and the historic use of the boat harbour site leading to potential soil contamination issues.
Over the past quarter, project partners have been working with contaminated soil experts to create an updated Site and Soil Contamination Management Plan after additional contamination was recently identified on site,” Mr Rae says.
“This has added complexity to the project. An updated plan has now been presented to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for consideration.”
Project partners will meet again January 2024 to review and agree the full testing plan and methodology prepared by the technical team.
Te Rāhui Lands Trust Chairman Brian Simpson is mindful of following the correct processes to ensure the whenua is safely restored. “Recent testing has shown unexpected levels of contamination on the whenua. Removing contaminant materials allows our whenua to be restored and become more productive, which is incredibly important to us.”
“A key outcome is the need to undertake additional testing to determine the quantity of contaminated material onsite and consider the methods of managing such material.”
“We are working closely with project partners to ensure this outcome is achieved.” “This project is transformational for the Eastern Bay of Plenty. The marine sector, and its association with aquaculture development, tourism and critical coastal activities is a heavy lifter across the Eastern Bay economy and needs to be supported with the right infrastructure,” Mr Rae adds.
Once complete, Te Rāhui Herenga Waka will provide a long-term supply of safer and more resilient berthage for vessel storage in Whakatane. In addition, a marine servicing centre with mobile boat hoist of 80-100 tonne capacity will be situated on site, along with a marine training school. Existing jobs will be retained, along with upwards of 600 created over time.