Consultation with the public over the future of Petone wharf will take place early next year after a blow-out in maintenance costs.
Repairs are estimated to be $1.2 million.
Hutt city parks manager Bruce Hodgins says information collected from a survey of the wharfs in Wellington put the cost at three times the $400,000 currently allocated by the council.
“We are talking many, many millions for the four wharves we maintain. So a considerable amount of thought has to go into this,” said Mr Hodgins.
Hutt City council closed the Petone wharf for the second time in two years after the November 14 earthquake caused the walkway and wharf head to smash into each other, causing beams to split and a shed to come off its foundations.
In 2015, the 133 year old wharf was also closed when divers found a rotten pile during a routine inspection.
The discovery prompted the Hutt City council to commission a survey of the state of all of the wharfs in Wellington.
In August 2015, Fairfax media reported that Steven Cottrill, former Hutt city parks manager said the wharves in Wellington were in a fragile state and the council could face a big repair bill once the survey revealed the condition of wharf timber.
The wharf remains closed until the necessary repairs can be carried out as part of planned maintenance works early next year.
The Petone wharf was built in 1883 by the Gear Meat Company for loading frozen meat onto ships.
A ferry runs there on Saturdays, while the biggest users are sightseers and people fishing.
