Improvements Planned for Whitianga Boat Ramps

All is ready for the next phase of the Whitianga’s Boat Ramp Project, reported today the Thames Coromandel District Council.

Earlier this year the Mercury Bay Community Board supported this project which sets out the plan to improve existing boat and wharf facilities around the town.

According to the District, the plan looks at ways to help alleviate congestion at the Whitianga Wharf Boat Ramp, which is a busy area with tourists, ferry passengers and children.

“The Dundas Street and Robinson Road ramps were identified as priorities for development, as part of the approved Boat Ramp Strategy,” said Allan Tiplady, Council’s Area Manager for Mercury Bay.

The Community Board allocated $635,000 towards the development and improvement of the two ramps which has allowed detailed design work to be completed.

“We’re now going back to stakeholders and residents to show the detailed design before we prepare to lodge any resource consents,” added Tiplady.

The plan is to widen the ramp and extend it into the water by 9m to give a total length of 33m, allowing for more vessels to launch there in all tides, by creating a double ramp with a centre pontoon. The ramp will incorporate a small breakwater to assist with shelter to launching and retrieving vessels and reduce sediment build up.

Earlier this year the channel by the Dundas Street boat ramp was dug and surveyed to measure the impact of sediment control. Starboard channel markers had been installed and dredging has occurred which has made it easier already for boat launching and retrieval.

Robinson Rd Boat Ramp Proposal

The plan is to widen the ramp immediately adjacent to the existing ramp. The old ramp will remain unchanged. This will allow all users of the existing ramp facility to continue to use this as they always have while the new ramp will be at an appropriate grade to facilitate launching of larger vessels.

The channel will be dredged from the ramp to the main river channel to enable all-tide use.

There were insufficient funds within the approved budget to complete reclamation at either of the two sites.