Update on Birkenhead Pontoon

John Gillon from

Below is an update from Council on the pontoon and gangplank that were removed from Hinemoa Park, Birkenhead, last year. This is a disappointing situation that the Local Board is pursuing, but it may be a while before a new pontoon is back up and running. The exact location of the new pontoon is also being investigated.

"Upon discovery that the pontoon was potentially unsafe it was removed and taken to a dry dock facility for an assessment of the damage. Results from the assessment have revealed significant damage to the pontoon to the point where the pontoon is not able to be repaired to a standard that it can be returned to Hinemoa Park.
The decision to invest into a replacement pontoon is not a small one and will need to be considered by the Kaipātiki Local Board as part of the upcoming work programme prioritisation.
The immediate impact of this is that there won’t be a pontoon available for users of the park for the remainder of this summer and possibly further into the foreseeable future.
The assessment also revealed that the specific location of the pontoon likely contributed to the damage and therefore as part of any further investigation into the replacement of the pontoon, the location will need to be a factor for consideration."

Photo credit: "Boaties" website, McLaren Brown Media: www.boaties.co.nz...