Australasian Coasts & Ports Conference, 2023, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Ōpōtiki Harbour Development involves stabilising the entrance of the Waioeka River to allow reliable and safe access for maritime activity. Te Ara Moana a Toi (“A path to the sea”) is the first major river training works to be constructed in Aotearoa, New Zealand in over 100 years. The project involves constructing twin 400m long training wall breakwaters, dredging a 120m wide navigable channel into the Harbour, closing the natural river mouth, and forming a new dune habitat. Show more…Construction of the Ōpōtiki Harbour Development Project commenced in late 2020 by HEB Construction. The opening of the new harbour entrance is expected to be completed in late 2023/early 2024.
Construction at the end of a dynamic sand spit within the coastal zone is inherently uncertain with dynamic morphological processes and testing environmental conditions. As expected with a project of this scale, the coastal environment has provided many challenges and opportunities for designers and constructors alike during the construction stage. This paper covers significant construction milestones, environmental monitoring data, challenges, and innovations undertaken during construction. These include construction observation techniques, environmental monitoring data, and innovations developed to successfully undertake construction of the new harbour opening while being 300m offshore within the surf zone. These challenges and innovations include the ground improvement methods undertaken, withstanding and adapting to extreme wave conditions during construction, dredging techniques, and the philosophy behind the new channel opening and subsequent existing river mouth closure expected to occur in mid-2023. Show less…
