Auckland Council told to stick with housing plans for marinas

Auckland Council has been urged to proceed with housing plans on marina land by the company which operates three of the city's marinas.

Empire Capital, under scrutiny over its plans at Bayswater, Hobsonville and Pine Harbour marinas, attended today's finance committee to talk about the council's proposed marina strategy.

Earlier this month, the council put the sale of council-owned marina land on hold until a marina strategy is developed.

There is a significant shortage of marina berths in Auckland, there are huge waiting lists and the problem is only going to get a lot worse.

Paul Glass, Bayswater Berth Holders Association

The decision followed vocal opposition by boaties and communities to moves from the council's development arm, Panuku, to sell marina assets for development.

Empire Capital has spent close to $50 million for land at Hobsonville Marina, Pine Harbour Marina and Bayswater Marina with plans to develop apartments, cafes and shopping areas.

Empire's property and development manager David Boersen said the marina strategy needs to consider investment to unlock benefits like housing, public transport and value uplift enabled by the Unitary Plan.

The council, he said, should seek to release some capital to ensure wider public benefits are achieved.

Empire has spent close to $50 million on land for marinas, including at Hobsonville. Photo / supplied

"The right partnership outcomes can achieve this and it needs a strategy that deals with all stakeholders, not just the limited number who have put their hands up to date," Boersen said.

He said marina berths are held by a very small number of people and council's own strategy would indicate it was a relatively straightforward to develop.

To questions from councillors about special legislation which protects some of the marina areas from development, Boersen said he believed it was not an obstacle.

He said Empire's planning advice was the empowering acts were an enabling framework that had been superseded by the Resource Management Act.

Several marina groups addressed the committee to support the development of the marina strategy and oppose the sale of marina land.

Chairman of the Auckland Marina Users Association, Richard Steel. Photo / supplied

Auckland Marina Users Association chairman Richard Steel said the council needed a marina strategy to address future demand, saying there are compelling reasons to halt the sale of land.

Said Paul Glass, Bayswater Berth Holders Association chairman: "There is a significant shortage of marina berths in Auckland, there are huge waiting lists and the problem is only going to get a lot worse....once the amenity value of marinas is destroyed it can never be recovered."