South Australia's Renmark wharf will receive up to $2 million in structural works to ensure its survival and safety.
Renmark Paringa District Council has committed to the project after considering a report into its condition.
The wharf has been damaged by boats – primarily houseboats – knocking into it when mooring.
The council's director of infrastructure and environment, Timothy Tol, said it was a key piece of infrastructure in the town.
"It's vitally important — it's that access to the river and that's the highlight of the town, our riverfront," he said.
"To make the investment that we're looking to do will shore up the life and safety of the wharf."
Steeling for the future
A timber wharf was built at Renmark in the early 1900s and used by river boats trading goods between towns.
In 1979 it was replaced with a concrete structure.
Now council has voted in favour of the most expensive of three solutions, which involves installing steel sheet piling to retain a section of the wharf currently retained by plastic sheet piling that was installed in 2008.
Mr Tol said the composite plastic had not been able to withstand use by recreational boats.
"Houseboats that can weigh up to 45 tonnes have hit that wharf at times," he said.
"If anyone has sat at the back of the club it's not uncommon to see a houseboat hit the wharf quite hard."
He said while cheaper options were available they would not have been a long-term solution.
"Whatever we did it was still on the basis of a material that's really not achieving what it's there to achieve — it might have given it an extra 10 years," Mr Tol said.
"By putting a new sheet pile in front we're looking for a much longer expected life."
Walking path still safe for public
The main Renmark wharf stretches 290 metres along the town's riverfront from the tourist centre to the Westpac Bank.
The section to be included in the project runs in front of the riverfront park and the Renmark Club.
Another section of walkway, in front of the tourist centre, will be replaced with a floating pontoon.
Mr Tol said council would look at attracting grants for the renovation, which tied in with a new water park being installed on the riverfront at the end of the main street.
He said the wharf was still safe for public use.
"It's still very safe to walk along — the one area we were concerned about has been bunted off," he said.
"The rest of it is fine, but if we don't go ahead and do some work in the next few years that might be a different story."
