Southern seawall renewal

Wellington Airport is planning to apply for resource consents and other approvals for our southern seawall renewal project in September. This is essential work to protect the airport and other infrastructure and follows several years of planning, consultation and research.

This page outlines the approach we’ll take and a summary of effects the community may notice. We welcome any questions or feedback, and also invite you to attend one of three public drop-in sessions where experts will be available to discuss the project and answer questions:

• Tuesday 26 August 6pm – 8pm: Strathmore Park Community Centre, 108 Strathmore Ave
• Wednesday 27 August 12pm – 2pm: Rydges Conference Centre, Level 2 Wellington Airport
• Wednesday 27 August 5:30pm – 7:30pm: Lyall Bay Junction – Unit 53

Please RSVP to wellingtonairport@wellingtonairport.co.nz if you would like to attend.

Why is this work required?

Our southern seawall was constructed in 1972. Engineering advice and peer reviews have confirmed it is reaching the end of its functional life and needs to be replaced. This work is essential given rising sea levels and the increased frequency and severity of storms.

As well as protecting the airport, the seawall also protects Moa Point Road and tunnel, stormwater infrastructure and major sewerage pipes to the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant, which treats most of Wellington’s sewage.

What the project will involve

Following extensive consideration of different options, our plan is to overlay the existing southern seawall with large armour units and rock. This will extend the current seawall out to sea by around 25 metres and eastward by 100 metres to cover an unprotected section of coastline.

The project includes the following key elements:

• Establishing two construction yards: Miramar Golf Course Construction Yard and Moa Point Construction Yard and using them along with an existing area on George Bolt Street for storage and construction activities;
• Reconstructing the southern seawall with rock and large armour units (known as Cubipods);
• Remediating the eroding eastern bank with rock protection (this will extend the seawall eastwards by around 100 metres)
• Establishing two new kororā (little blue penguin) colonies to support habitation and breeding.

When it will happen

Pending consent approvals, enabling works could begin mid to late 2026. The overall project is expected to take six to eight years with the seawall construction itself starting in 2029 and taking 24 to 30 months.

Construction effects

To help choose the best option for this project, Wellington Airport sought advice from a range of experts to help understand the likely effects including coastal processes, surfing, traffic, noise, lighting, archaeological, ecological, kororā and visual and natural character aspects.

This has included identifying how the proposal could affect the local community and the environment, and what measures we need to put in place to manage these effects.

We will continue to communicate closely with the local community throughout this project, especially before major periods of work begin. We will establish a community construction liaison group to help facilitate this.

Noise

This will unavoidably be a noisy construction project and much of the work is required to take place at night to minimise impacts to flight operations.

Our noise modelling shows the noise will be loudest around Moa Point and parts of Strathmore Park including some properties in Raukawa Street and Kekerenga Street, and at levels that, at times, could disturb sleep at night.

Wellington Airport has drafted a Construction Noise Management Plan which outlines how we propose to mitigate the effects of noise on our residential neighbours as much as possible. This includes using the quietest equipment and methods practical and careful timing and sequencing of works.

To reduce noise impacts on neighbours we will use the Miramar Golf Course Construction Yard only for stockpiling rather than for more noisier purposes which will be carried out at the other yards. We will also be using micropiling during daytime hours instead of louder methods.

Traffic

From 2026 onwards there will be increased heavy traffic on roads surrounding the airport due to the construction of the yards and the stockpiling of construction materials and equipment into the yards. When the seawall construction itself starts around 2029 to the early 2030s there will be transport of materials and equipment across to the seawall site.

As part of this, Cubipods and rock material will need to be transported to the construction yards for storage and use over several years. Some material will also need to be removed from sites, including material to create the yards and parts of the old seawall.

The overall project has been designed to mitigate and minimise traffic movements, including backhauling (trucks that come in with a load will also leave with material) and re-using as much of the removed material onsite as possible.

The likely route for trucks delivering material will be from the north along Cobham Drive and through the airport via Stewart Duff Drive, and then outbound along Moa Point Road, Lyall Bay Parade and then north towards SH1 via Onepu Road. Most truck movements will occur during the day and early evening.

The exact traffic numbers will depend on various factors including where the rock is sourced from and is likely to fluctuate at busy times.

We are preparing a Construction Traffic Management Plan outlining how we will minimise truck movements and any impacts as much as possible.

Surf

We have worked with local surf group Wellington Boardriders and wave modelling experts to predict the effects of the project on surf within Lyall Bay, including at The Corner which is the most popular area with surfers. The modelling indicates that any effects on surfing are likely to be minimal and will potentially improve the wave at the Airport Rights surf break to the south of the seawall.

Kororā (little blue penguins)

We plan to build two new kororā colonies to support rehabilitation and breeding.

The first colony is proposed to be developed in advance of seawall construction, allowing kororā to be relocated before their existing nest sites are affected by construction activities. Each area will be carefully checked and work will be timed to avoid disruption to breeding and moulting seasons as much as practicable.

A second colony will be developed after the construction of the seawall is complete at the eastern end of the main seawall.

These new colonies will provide safer and improved habitats with a greater total area than the present nest sites around the seawall. Features will include shelter, nestboxes and security fencing to exclude people and dogs.

Mana whenua

Wellington Airport has closely engaged with both Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa on this project.

Next steps – the consenting process

This project was accepted into the Government’s Fast-track Approval Act, potentially providing a faster and more efficient way for it to be consented while still going through a rigorous and open process. Wellington Airport is now planning to apply for resource consents and other approvals for this project in September.

Please feel free to send us any questions, comments or feedback via wellingtonairport@wellingtonairport.co.nz.