The replacement of the Ōamaru Harbour slipway cradle took place this morning.

Waitaki District Council property manager Grant Rhodes said this is one of the final parts of a renovation of the slipway, including the replacement of the rails that stretch alongside the Normanby Wharf.

Concreting around the top-end of the slipway will improve the safety of the area for users.

The previous cradle, made from timber, was around 60 years old, and decay in the timber and general wear and tear had increased the maintenance costs to the point replacement was a better option, Grant said.

It had a maximum weight loading of 12 tonnes.

The new cradle has been built locally by Ireland Engineering, and is a steel construction, coated with a specialised paint that is commonly used for underwater pipelines to protect against saltwater corrosion.

With appropriate maintenance, the community should get decades of use from the new cradle and slipway, Grant said.

It also has an increased load rating of 20 tonnes, allowing more commercial and recreational boats locally and from further afield to use the slipway.

The cost of the new cradle was around $60,000 with the total cost of the project on track, at an estimate of $105,000.

The slipway improvements will be self-funded, so fees for usage will be adjusted to cover all outgoings including maintenance and operating costs.