A $35.9 million budget shortfall in the Hutt City Council’s draft Long Term Plan could spell the end of Petone wharf.

Hutt City Council’s Long Term Plan/Annual Plan Subcommittee is today discussing three infrastructure upgrades in Petone, one of which is the quake-damaged wharf.

The structure has been closed to the public since January 2021, after a series of moderate shakes damaged the “already compromised structure”, making it unsafe.

It had been damaged in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, but was repaired and reopened a year later.

A formal decision is yet to be made on the future of the wharf, but cost escalations and priorities are now casting doubt on how long it’ll remain standing.

Of seven options the council could choose from today, four are to demolish the wharf to some degree.

The council’s draft long-term plan is forecasting a shortfall of $35.9m over the next 10 years. About $23.96m of that is earmarked just for renewing the wharf.

Councillors now have to choose what investments are of most value to ratepayers.

The other key infrastructure projects they are considering are the Petone Neighbourhood Hub’s library building, and renewing the Petone Recreation Ground grandstand.

About $1.6m has been budgeted for 2024-25 to fix the library, however council papers show this would “only provide critical repairs”.

Council says in reality it needs a significant renewal, at an estimated cost of $10m-$15m.

The grandstand will cost “significantly more” than the $6.5m now budgeted, because of required seismic strengthening, which was not anticipated, and inflation.

“There have also been cost increases since this costing was carried out and the asset has further deteriorated.”

On top of rising costs, Hutt City Council predicts the wharf will be inundated by sea level rise in the next 30+ years. Image / Google

Today’s agenda shows reasons to consider demolishing Petone’s wharf include greater a social return by improving assets like the library instead.

Officers prefer demolishing the wharf and building a raised viewing area extending from the Promenade towards the high tide line.

Petone Community Board chairman Mike Fisher told NZME it’s a balancing act, and these decisions are tough.

“Facilities like the grandstand and particularly the wharf get used by people from all around the city and the region when they’re visiting.”

He believes it might be a bitter pill to swallow for some residents.

“There’s a groundswell of opinion in Petone that has always loved the wharf and the recreational amenity value that provides,” he said.

Hutt City Council’s Pito-One Petone Steering Group isn’t ready to wave goodbye to the “Petone landmark”.

The steering group is recommending the council investigate designs and costings to retain parts of the wharf in heritage style, with modern materials implemented in the design.

This option has low to moderate affordability, according to council estimates, “and so could still be considered unaffordable”, the agenda warns.

The draft form of the plan describes a “strong focus” on investing in resilient infrastructure, after the extreme damage caused by severe weather in other parts of the country.

The agenda states rebuilding the wharf at any length would “not be a resilient structure”, with suggestions it would need ongoing investment in maintenance to retain it.

Hutt City Council predicts the wharf will be inundated by sea level rise in the next 30+ years.

In addition, the council’s agenda shows concern about climate change compromising the Petone wharf. The council believes extreme weather and severe storms will “challenge the integrity of the wharf” and exacerbate its deterioration.

This is further predicted to become more complicated and costly: “Eventually piles will need to be replaced. This will be problematic,” the agenda reads.

In recent years, locals have been sympathetic to the tough times Council is dealing with. 70 percent of respondents consulted for Hutt City Council’s 2023-24 Annual Plan agreed to push the Petone wharf budget out, to help manage financial concerns.