Wharf update (February 2023)
KiwiRail will start work removing a building from its land north of the port at Westport on Tuesday 7 February. Site set up and the installation of fencing are expected to get underway on Tuesday.
The old shed buildings are deemed to be unsafe. The full removal will take approximately two months to complete.
(Photo supplied by Kiwirail)
(Photo supplied by Kiwirail)
(Buller District Council aerial image shows the structures to be removed outlined in red)
Once the old sheds are removed, Buller District Council will access the Kawatiri Wharf for essential repairs. That wharf, and Holcim 2 Wharf, were damaged during the July 2021 and February 2022 flood events in Westport. Repairs on the two wharves is expected to take approximately a year.
Up until late last year the structure was leased from KiwiRail by the Railway Preservation Society and the Buller Cricket Association. The building was originally a storage facility for freight coming onto and leaving the rail network.
The demolition professionals engaged will be looking to salvage and recycle as much as possible. Locals should expect trucks and excavators on site during demolition.