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Port Augusta Wharf Upgrade
Port Augusta Wharf Upgrade
We are upgrading the State-Heritage listed Port Augusta Wharf to reinvigorate the waterfront and provide improved amenity and recreational opportunities.
Fast facts
Status
Design development underway.
Location
Port Augusta.
Funding
$15 million from Australian and South Australian governments (80:20).
About the project
The Port Augusta Wharf is a key historic landmark, providing a gateway to the Flinders Ranges and the Spencer Gulf. The wharf upgrade is expected to enhance safety, accessibility and economic growth in the region as well as preserve the historic waterfront for future generations to enjoy.
Project background
The wharf was constructed in 1886 and is approximately 355 metres long. The grand size of the wharf reflects the early economic importance of Port Augusta as a crucial hub for transporting supplies including wool, copper ore and grain to various destinations around Australia and overseas.
The wharf was closed and fenced off in 2019 due to safety concerns and structural issues. Since then, there has been a high level of community and stakeholder interest in restoring and preserving the wharf.
The wharf is adjacent to the Eastside Foreshore that borders Port Augusta’s main shopping district. The wharf and Eastside Foreshore area is a highly used and valued part of Port Augusta’s social infrastructure. It features:
- BBQ facilities
- half-court basketball facility
- playground
- skatepark
- public toilets
- a jetty for fishing
- pontoons for swimming
- cycling and walking trail
The upgrade will involve:
- installing new wharf decking, girders, cross heads, cross bracing and approximately 200 new steel piles
- all components will be replaced like for like, retaining the look and feel of the existing, historical wharf.
This will ensure the long-term structural integrity of the wharf and make it load rated for pedestrians and light motor vehicles.
What's happening
Test piling will soon be undertaken from a barge located alongside the wharf to further support design planning.
Test piling involves driving piles into the seabed to assess the underwater soil condition. While geotechnical investigations were completed in September, additional time has been required to critically review and refine the design in response to existing site conditions, ensuring the most appropriate approach before progressing to this next phase.
A small section of the south western end of the Wharflands Esplanade carpark will be temporary closed, and marine exclusion zone will be in place while these investigations are carried out.
You may have noticed that we have been inspecting the deck planks and supporting structures in preparation for test piling works, which are expected to commence in the coming weeks.
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