Pine Harbour Marina’s ‘abrupt power failure’: Berth holders decry fix-it fees

Pine Harbour, where around 550 berth holders have contracts on the marina.

Berth holders at southeast Auckland’s Pine Harbour Marina are decrying a $876,000 fee after what the owner called an “abrupt failure” of the power supply system to more than 500 berths.

Ruth Doone of the Pine Harbour Berth Holders Association said her entity objected to being charged by Pine Harbour Marina Management, owned via Paula and Simon Herbert of Empire Capital.

But Herbert said the business was entitled to charge the fee after the mains power abruptly failed.

Each berth holder at the marina had a contract or licence and those were long term and expiring in about 12 years, he said.

They must pay operating expenses for running and maintaining the marina, including replacement of items when they failed or needed replacement, Herbert said.

“There is also a fund berth holders contribute to for refurbishment work. This is typically where we are refurbishing a complete pier at a time, as we are doing and have been doing over the past few years,” Herbert said.

“In this instance, the main power cables to the marina piers have abruptly failed and need replacement. This is obviously a major safety issue and safety of our berth holders and marina users is our utmost priority.”

The cable failure was unforeseen, so a special one-off operating expense had been levied, Herbert said.

“No one likes getting an unexpected bill and I’d be unhappy about an unexpected bill too. In fact, we have a number of licences ourselves so will be also paying our share.

“It’s a bit like getting an unexpected bill for your car’s brakes or tyres. Unexpected, but not much that we can do about it. We have our berth holders’ best interests at heart and I can assure you, the last thing we want to do is to send unexpected invoices out.”

Pine Harbour at Beachlands in southeast Auckland.

Doone wanted to raise the issue in public because she said the fee being charged to around 550 berth holders was unfair and she also raised wider safety issues.

People had reported receiving electric shocks when they had been working on the marina pier structures, she said.

“Electrical inspectors brought in deemed that the marina power infrastructure was unsafe and must be turned off immediately,” she said.

That meant some boat owners had incurred significant costs due to boats needing power to maintain electrical systems. Yet there was no liability on the Pine Harbour business which leased the berths when the power failed, she said.

Nine years ago, interests associated with Herbert bought the 570-berth Pine Habour marina for $22 million.

Pine Harbour’s marina was put up for sale in late 2013 on behalf of the vendors, the Drinkrow family.

Empire also owns around 420 marina berths and associated land at Bayswater on the North Shore and the 600-berth Hobsonville Marina in west Auckland and has a dredging business.

A $300m scheme is planned for Bayswater, bringing 78 apartments.

Last December, independent hearing commissioners headed by Greg Hill approved an amended proposal, scaled back from 119 apartments during hearings to 78 now.

The scheme is estimated to be worth around $300m on completion but original plans changed after Auckland Council officers withdrew their support for the scheme last September when hearings into the plans were under way.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 24 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.