Frequently asked questions
The jetty Trust gets asked lots of questions. Here are answers to the most common ones.
When will the jetty be open?
Depending on how smoothly the work goes, we’re expecting the jetty to reopen in the first half 2023 (currently aiming for “before Easter” for completion of building).
If you’ve started, you’ve got all the money, right?
No, not yet.
We still need to raise around $500,000 (as at March 2023). You can see our progress on the totaliser. If we get 1000 planks sponsored (including front planks), we will exceed this amount. We need more plank sponsors!
Donations of $600 or more are recognised with a name or message on a plank, and we recognise larger donations with a name on a bench, ramp, or platform (see business sponsors).
We’re also looking for a sponsor for the pontoon at the end of the jetty and for industrial binoculars so that people can view the port and amazing landscape.
What’s the cost of the rebuild?
Total project cost, including the pre-construction work such as geotechnical investigation, design, and consenting, is around $3.6 million.
Woah, no way! That’s a lot!
Yes, it is. No-one knows this more than the Trust, whose Board and helpers have dedicated many thousands of hours to fundraising and finding ways to keep costs to a minimum. It is still much less than the $7.8 million like-for-like rebuild cost, estimated by the Council in 2014.
Price escalations are rife - will the jetty cost keep going up like so many other projects, thus stopping you from finishing the rebuild?
Thanks to the cash raised by the Trust and Christchurch City Council’s 50% project cost cash contribution, in July 2022 the Trust was able to sign fixed-price contracts for construction and timber (timber is around half of the total project cost). There may be the odd increase for things that nobody can predict, for example if there’s an obstruction to piling under the mud that means changing the design of that particular span.
Why rebuild, rather than repair?
When the Trust first formed in 2015, we thought we could repair the jetty cheaply using volunteer laboour, as had been done before.
However, once the reality of the engineering report (written in 2014) sunk in and after talking to contractors experienced in wharf building, it became clear that patching-up the jetty was neither an economical nor long-term solution. Most of the piles and beams needed replacing immediately, and those that were OK for now would need replacing in the next 5 to 10 years.
The cost of repairing the jetty, estimated by two different sources, was around $3 million due to contingency (allowing for unknown costs).
Why are you importing timber from Australia?
Pine species, which is what we export from New Zealand, is not suitable for the piles and other sub-structure parts of the jetty. In fact, there is no tree species that grows in New Zealand that meets the standard for those parts of the jetty.
This is why Australian timber (ironbark) was imported by the Harbour Board to extend the jetty in 1913. This timber lasted an incredibly long time.
Commercial wharves tend to be built using concrete and steel, which meets the standard for durability. However, after consulting with the community, the Trust determined that a concrete jetty wouldn’t be accepted and decided on a like-for-like in terms of materials for the rebuild.
The Trust was very fortunate to be able to source locally grown hardwood timber that meets the standards for the top part of the jetty – planks, posts, and rails. Local resident Mark Belton connected the Trust with the Pike family, who owns a forest in Little River growing Eucalyptus globoidea. This timber is naturally durable and doesn’t require chemical treatment. It was a huge effort on the part of Stu Bould to project manage the harvesting and milling of these trees, and as well as being a sustainable source of timber, it was a significant cost saving.
How can I keep up-to-date with progress?
Easy! Check the construction updates blog.
Can I help?
Yes, and we hope you will:
I hear Jetty Road is closed. Can we still get to the foreshore?
Jetty Road is closed to public vehicles after the Cresswell Ave / Jetty Road intersection. There is still access to foot traffic, so you can walk down to the foreshore track.
If driving, please do not turn off towards the jetty at that intersection – there is nowhere to park and you can’t turn around without reversing up the road or infringing on a private driveway.