A major upgrade to Wellington Airport’s ageing southern coastline has been fast-tracked, with seawall construction expected to begin later this year.
The project – estimated to cost more than $100 million and the first to be fast-tracked in the Wellington region – would strengthen around 400m of the existing seawall to better withstand coastal erosion and severe weather.
The seawall protects the airport’s runway and other key infrastructure along the city’s exposed southern coastline.
Alongside the engineering work, plans include creating two new kororā (little penguin) colonies near the site. These would feature nesting boxes, planting, and fencing intended to protect birds from predators and human disturbance.
Wellington International Airport Ltd applied for approval in October 2025 and consent was granted roughly six months later through the Government’s fast-track process.
Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said the original seawalls were constructed from 1954, with improvements and extensions added since then. "The southern seawall is now reaching the end of its lifespan and needs a major upgrade," he said.
“The south end of the airport runway faces directly into the Southern Ocean. Wave heights in Cook Strait regularly exceed 10m and require substantial seawall defences to withstand major weather events. The renewed seawall will protect airport operations for decades to come, so we can continue connecting Wellington to the world.
“The seawall project is the first in the Wellington region to be granted a fast-track consent. Years of work has gone into planning this project, including optioneering, design, and constructability assessments, and careful consultation with airlines, councils, iwi and local residents."
Associate Transport Minister James Meager said it was a "major long-term resilience project" for Wellington.
"Renewing and strengthening sections of the existing southern seawall will improve its resilience to coastal processes and extreme weather events, while supporting the airport’s continued safe operation."
He said the project had an estimated cost-benefit ratio of 2.6, and could generate up to $690 million in economic benefits over time.
"Importantly, this project will deliver major economic benefits for local communities, through the creation of 114 jobs annually throughout the construction period.
"Wellington Airport facilitates annual expenditure of $3.9 billion, supports more than 14,500 full-time equivalent jobs, and contributes around $2 billion in GDP to the region’s economy annually. This project will help protect and future-proof this important asset."
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