The Whitianga Ferry service will be shut down for three days while work to replace the 9m floating pontoon at Ferry Landing Wharf takes place.

Replacing the pontoon will be subject to weather and is set to take place from October 5-7, with the ferry service to resume normal operations on Saturday, October 8.

The Whitianga Ferry Service will be shut down from October 5-7 while Thames-Coromandel District Council contractors replace the old 9m concrete floating pontoon. While the replacement works take place a free bus service will be provided for affected commuters. Photo: TCDC

Mercury Bay area manager Alan Tiplady says the Thames-Coromandel District Council looked at a times and dates that would be less disruptive to school students and outside of peak visitor periods.

'There is going to be some people who will be inconvenienced, but the pontoon needs to be replaced, and we have tried to work in with what suits the majority of the community around commuting and commitments.

'We apologise to everyone for the inconvenience while the pontoon is replaced. A free bus service is being provided while the replacement works take place.”

The Murphy bus service will run from 7.30am-8.30pm on the hour, from both the Ferry Landing and Whitianga Wharf.

The first bus will commence from Ferry Landing and Whitianga Wharf at 7.30am. There will be one stop at the Cooks Beach Hall.

A Go Kiwi Shuttle Bus will also do a run from Whitianga Wharf to Ferry Landing (via Cooks Beach Hall) at 7.30am, returning at 8.30am during this period. The shuttle will also do another run from Whitianga Wharf to Ferry Landing (via Cooks Beach Hall) at 7.30pm, returning at 8.30pm.

Alan says the old concrete pontoon and its piles will be removed by barge, with new piles drilled and the new pontoon barged into position and fixed to the installed piles. The work will cost $150,000.

Conditions Assessment report carried out earlier this year recommended the pontoon be replaced within the next 12 months due to wear and tear and deterioration to its condition.

'We have a replacement pontoon stored and ready to go and so the plan is to do the work before Labour Weekend, which is when we start heading into our busy visitor period,” says Alan.

Whitianga Ferry Service owner Fred Acke agrees the pontoon needs replacing before summer, and while there will be some inconvenience, 'the safety of our passengers must come first”.

'This will be the first three days the ferry has stopped running since the service went on strike around 90 years ago,” adds Fred.

The Whitianga Ferry Service will be shut down from Wednesday, October 5, to Friday, October 7, with the service set to resume on Saturday, October 8.

While the replacement work takes place free buses will be provided for affected commuters and will from 7.30am to 8.30pm, departing from Ferry Landing, Whitianga Wharf and Cooks Beach.

BUS TIMETABLE - MURPHY BUSES

BUS TIMETABLE - GO KIWI SHUTTLE BUS