$US23million Avatiu Wharf reconstruction project to begin this year

At a media conference on Wednesday Ports Authority CEO Bim Tou announced that the Avatiu Wharf reconstruction project is to begin shortly. A small reconnaissance team from Beca Consultants has arrived. They are John Youdale (project director), Jakob Mazur (structural engineer) and Deborah Robertson (environment scientist).
Tou said the $US23million upgrade of the port is very important because it is the gateway to the Cook Islands with 90% of our imports coming by ship and the other 10% by airfreight.
The Beca team are here for the preliminary phases including compiling an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) by Deborah and local consultant, Teariki Rongo; checking the engineering and geotechnical details (Jakob and local engineer, Atatoa Herman) and to tender out the actual construction of the wharf. Deborah said they hope to have the EIA ready for public comment in March 2010.
Reconstruction work will take two years and involve replacement of most if not all the wharf structure; realignment (straightening it up) and dredging to ‘slightly’ deepen the port to allow medium size ships to dock there. Beca will be acting as project managers and providing the design of the port, as well as the engineering and related consultancy services required to ensure the construction is carried out to the high standards required.
The complexity of the project means it is likely that an overseas company will win the contract, but if so, they will be required to make use of as much local personnel and equipment, as possible.
As regards disruption to shipping during construction,
project director, John Youdale acknowledged there will be some issues but they will need to be worked through. Options include ensuring that the contractor works in ‘contained’ areas, then moving to the next area and so on to minimise disruption to the port so it will continue to be operational throughout the construction phase.
‘No pain, no gain’ is the motto and the company already has a great deal of experience in ports projects.
They include the Fiji Kings Wharf development, Tonga, Kiribati, the Ferguson Project in Auckland and have been invited to review the design for a Port Botany project in Sydney.
The project is largely funded by the Asian Development Bank and a small contribution by the Cook Islands Government.

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