Business Central July 2021

8 | New wharf will secure future “Ships are larger, carrying more cargo which needs to be processed and stored somewhere on the port in order for fast turn-around.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT HEB Construction - 6 Wharf Napier Port C EO of Napier Port, Todd Dawson, says the soon-to-be completed 6 Wharf will bring tremendous benefits to the port itself and much wider afield to importers and exporters spanning the central and lower North Island. The port is a significant contributor to the wider regional economy, employing about 300 permanent staff, and across the whole region, upward of 30,000 people derive economic benefit from port activity. “We are very much looking forward to opening 6 Wharf in late 2022 because it is going to really set this port on its next journey, future-proofing its capability for decades to come,” Todd says. Planning for expanding the port started many years ago, with regional and customer growth showing no signs of slowing down. To unlock that potential, the port needed the ability to handle a greater number of vessels, as well as larger container vessels and cruise ships. Sitting in the heart of New Zealand’s food and fibre horticultural hub and with vast stocks of timber stands coming to maturi- ty, demand for port space was becoming a premium. “Ships are larger, carrying more cargo which needs to be processed and stored somewhere on the port in order for fast turn-around.” After earnest research and number-crunch- ing to discover what benefits would flow from a major capital investment and to determine the best way to accrue those funds, the Board decided that a limited floating of shares on the New Zealand Stock Exchange made sense. This would raise capital for the $173-190 million wharf build and also ensures the port is well capitalised for future growth to contin- ue supporting customers across the central and lower North Island. Todd says that when 6 Wharf is finally completed it will be able to manage expected increases in vessel traffic extending some 30 years. Importantly the new wharf will allow for some of the largest vessels to berth at the port, as well as berthing of all ships 24 hours a day, hugely increasing processing capacity. Dredging to allow for larger vessels to enter the port was, in itself, a large and complex project. Resource consent processes, to ensure that environmental, animal and cultural impacts were managed well, necessarily took years to complete. In all, dredging will take 18 months to com- plete, which will see 1,150,000m3 of sea-floor material shifted 5 nautical miles off-shore. “This site was deliberately chosen because it closely matches the original areas the dredged material lay in. As much as possible we are creating minimal disturbance to the natural habitat.” HEB Construction has the contract to build the wharf, while Heron Construction and Dredging has been sub-contracted for the dredging work, which is expected to be finished mid this year. A big focus on consulting with local iwi, fishermen and surfers has all helped inform decision making. And ensuring Pania Reef was protected was, and will continue to be, a top priority. Todd says that even at the peak of the horti- culture season late summer the port has man- aged to continue business well, even achieving milestone peaks in terms of cargo on port. “We have had to partition off 25% of our usual container operations space to build 6 Wharf but I’ve been really impressed at how every-one working on the port has just gone on and dealt with this and ensured our services to customers continue with little disturbance.” Beyond giving immediate benefit to Hawke’s Bay, Todd knows that 6 Wharf will also greatly enhance the lower North Island supply chain capability. He is a passionate advocate for a NZ-Inc approach to the supply chain where every- one benefits from an efficient, accountable infrastructure design that minimises waste and duplication. Together with the port’s regional freight hubs and investment in land side transport logistics, the new wharf opens up greater shipping options for customers across the whole central and lower North Island. While there’s plenty of work across his desk on any given day, Todd says he most enjoys the Friday morning walk of the construction zone where 6 Wharf is emerging. “It keeps me up to speed with the guys on the ground doing the construction. They’re a great team, working hard and the reason why the project has progressed so well.” Bird Concrete Pumping and Spraying are proud to support HEB Wharf 6 development for Napier P (06) 873 5501 M 027 434 1363 E admin@birdconcrete.nz 30 Lawn Road, RD10 Hastings www.birdconcretepumpingandspraying.co.nz CONCRETE PUMPING | CONCRETE SPRAYING CONSTRUCTION JOBS • Certified Pipe Welding • ASME IX Qualified • On-site fabrication/Install • 24 hour call out • Compliance Testing • Specialists in steam, gas & ammonia pipework • Hassle free service Fabrication • Installation • Service 021 773 188 Dive Hard LTD Construction Diving & Engineering Hastings 027 550 1115 divehard@outlook.co.nz Servicing Hawkes Bay's underwater needs Proudly working closely with HEBConstruction Ltd on the Wharf 6 Project