By
Alex Smith |
Mayor of Christchurch Lianne Dalziel has opened a new cruise berth at Lyttelton Port in Lyttelton, New Zealand, which is the first purpose-built cruise ship facility in the country.
Large cruise vessels have been unable to berth at the port since an earthquake in February 2011. The new cruise berth will now enable Lyttelton to receive cruise ships of any size, though restrictions caused by Covid-19 are currently preventing most travel.
“The cruise berth has been delivered on-time and on budget, despite the challenges of Covid-19,” said Roger Gray, CEO of Lyttelton Port Company (LPC). “The berth is an asset for LPC and will free up much needed capacity in our inner harbour. While we are disappointed this cruise season will be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, we will be ready to welcome cruise ships when they do return.”
The berth has been under construction since 2018. A redesign early in the project has minimised the number and size of piles in the wharf in order to reduce underwater noise, which can affect marine mammals. The redesign has also allowed the port to reduce the use of steel and concrete in the wharf, resulting in a 50 per cent reduction of embodied carbon emissions.
“The project raised the standard of practice in protecting marine mammals in construction projects in New Zealand by designing with nature in mind,” said Gray. “As a major player in Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour we know we have a responsibility to not only protect our marine environment but also play our part in contributing to addressing climate change.”