Planning for the complicated Kaipara operation has been carried out over the past 18 months and involved extensive research and testing of new equipment as well as consultation with local harbour users.
Ian Niblock, Regional Harbourmaster for the Northland Regional Council (NRC), says three buoys and 13 new beacon top marks (manufactured by Ruawai-based Portstar Plastic) are being installed, as well as 12 new self-contained navigation lights.
“Planning for the upgrade and maintenance work was complex and involved not only budgeting, but also the relocation of the Council’s 16.4 metre workboat ‘Waikare’ from the Bay of Islands to the west coast last month.”
Mr Niblock says the Kaipara Harbour is home to more than two dozen NRC navigation aids. The last similar work there was in 2000 when a number of missing beacons were replaced and existing beacons were cleaned and painted.
Before heading to the Kaipara, members of the Council’s Maritime team had carried out a number of trials using navigation buoys and light-weight plastic beacon structures fastened to narrow metal pipes to try and overcome the special challenges posed by the area.
“Maintaining navigation aids on the Kaipara Harbour has traditionally been difficult. Strong tidal flows, shifting sand banks, floating debris and rough sea conditions during bad weather means that often the beacons fall over prematurely.”
Regional Council Chairman Mark Farnsworth – a former Pouto resident - says the Kaipara Harbour brings special navigation challenges due to its large size, the tide and wave conditions found there and its relative remoteness.
“This equipment, and particularly the new navigation lights, will make a considerable contribution to the safety of those using what is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest harbours,” Mr Farnsworth says.
Mr Farnsworth says he is grateful to members of the public who provided the Council with invaluable information on the position and most suitable types of navigation aids and who helped the Waikare’s skipper to cross the Kaipara Bar safely.
“Particular thanks go to the Regional Council’s local Harbour Wardens, members of the Te Kopuru and Ruawai Boating Clubs and harbour users. In many cases they have given up considerable time to pass on their knowledge of the Kaipara Harbour and this is greatly appreciated.”
Meanwhile, Mr Niblock says an extensive range of materials were purchased some months back and the navigation aids pre-fabricated where possible to make installation work more time and cost-effective.
He estimated the overall cost of the project at more than $50,000, paid for via a combination of harbour user charges and Regional Council rates.
Several members of the Council’s Maritime Team began work in the harbour three weeks ago and – weather depending – hope to complete the upgrade by the end of August.
Mr Niblock says the Kaipara work is being carried out over winter to avoid clashes with the Waikare’s summer commitments to pilot visiting cruise ships into the Bay of Islands.