ARC would 'welcome' partnership over Tank Farm

Mike Lee

The Auckland Regional Council would welcome going into partnership with the Auckland City Council to develop the Tank Farm on the Auckland waterfront but a joint venture is not essential, says ARC chairman Mike Lee.

"It would be helpful because it would facilitate a citywide, regionwide approach to things, but it is absolutely not essential," Mr Lee said yesterday.

He was responding to Herald revelations that the council was pushing for a 50:50 joint venture with Ports of Auckland, owned by the ARC, as the best way to meet public demands for more open space on the headland jutting out into the Waitemata Harbour.

Auckland City would have to provide about $300 million to buy half of the port company's 20ha stake in the 35ha Tank Farm on top of $330 million set aside to create parks, transport and other infrastructure on the prime waterfront land.

Revelations about the joint venture and detailed plans for more open space on the headland led the main players to hold a media briefing yesterday to present a show of unity. Those attending included Mr Lee, Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard, Ports of Auckland chief executive Geoff Vazey and Auckland Regional Holdings director Susan Paterson.

Auckland Regional Holdings (ARH) is the investment arm of the ARC, which owns the ports company.

Mr Hubbard said the advantages of becoming a financial partner, rather than a straight regulator, would give the council a greater say over the public-good elements of the development "and this has got public good intertwined all the way through it".

A source told the Herald that without the joint venture, there would be more commercial development and less open space on the headland.

The "ARC Group" of Mr Lee, Mr Vazey and Susan Paterson emphasised their desire to create a world-class waterfront development but Mr Lee said it could not be a burden on ratepayers.

He said the parties had been focused on listening and responding to public demands for more open space and were just starting work on the intricacies of management and ownership. This has pushed back the release of a plan change for the Tank Farm until September from the original deadline of May 31.

Susan Paterson said ARH was obliged to use profits from the ports company to fund regional transport and stormwater projects but was also required to act in the long-term economic interests of the region.

Mr Vazey described the situation as "work in progress" and did not rule out the ports company handing over ownership of the land to another party such as Auckland Regional Holdings sometime in the future.

However, he was not keen on including Queens and Captain Cook wharves in the negotiations, saying the two facilities were "very busy" and there was a lot happening on the Tank Farm to include them at this stage.