Auckland mayor Phil Goff, second from right, with Haunui waka staff Rewi Spraggon (left) and Hoturoa Kerr, and Ngati Whatua spokesman Paul Davis. Photo/ Tess Nichol
Auckland mayor Phil Goff, second from right, with Haunui waka staff Rewi Spraggon (left) and Hoturoa Kerr, and Ngati Whatua spokesman Paul Davis. Photo/ Tess Nichol
Phil Goff says he's open to approving consent for a "mooring dolphin" to be built by 2018 so mega cruise ships are able to berth in Auckland.
Auckland's mayor had previously expressed concern at spending up to $12 million on the pontoon-type structure, with the Auckland council group keeping building consent on hold until the first quarter of 2017 earlier this month.
Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever to visit New Zealand, is longer than three rugby fields and too long to berth in Auckland.
She is anchored off Queens Wharf with her nearly 5000 passengers ferried on tenders to the Viaduct area.
A powhiri by the Haunui waka group welcomed the enormous cruise liner to Auckland early this morning.
However, he was still opposed to the suggestion of a wharf being built to join the dolphin to the land, saying that was too environmentally intrusive.
"We don't want to see further intrusion into the harbour if that can be avoided."
Royal Caribbean's new Zealand manager Mark Kinchley at Tuesday morning's ceremony welcoming Ovation of the Seas to Auckland. photo/ Tess Nichol
Goff also floated the idea of turning Wynyard Point into a berth.
"Once we get the tanks off Wynyard Point will be an ideal place.
"[It's] very long, the longest wharf we have, it could moor the ship and maybe even moor it before we get the tanks off."
The cruise ship industry boosted Auckland's economy by about $200 million every year and Goff said he hoped it would grow in the future.
Currently Ovation was the only ship too big to berth, but that would likely change, Goff said.
"Ten years down the track it's quite likely there will be a lot of ships this size coming in and we need to make sure we can cater for them."
Funding to build the dolphin would be paid for by Ports of Auckland and recovered by charges made to the ships, a plan which, given the value of the industry, was viable, Goff said.
However he did not want to forge ahead until all options had been considered.
"It needs to be done properly, we need to work out what the best option is and what the most acceptable option is from an environmental perspective."
Holy ship! Exploring the biggest cruise liner ever to visit New Zealand
Ovation is the fourth biggest cruise ship in the world, with up to 4905 passengers and 1500 crew.
It has a stand-up surfing pool, sky diving simulator, rock-climbing wall, dodgem cars, a circus school, and an observation gondola on a hydraulic arm rising 90m above the ship.
Herald reporter Tess Nichol 90m above the ship's deck in one of its newest attraction, the North Star. Photo/ Tess Nichol
Visiting on Tuesday morning, this Herald reporter got a spectacular if slightly grey view of the city, Auckland Harbour Bridge and the North Shore.
The bubble at the end of the arm spins slowly when it reaches its ascent.
Just how huge the ship is becomes clear from the top of the ride, the full-size swimming pool on the top deck just a fraction of the view stretching from stern and bow.
