Wayne Brown's acceptance speech as the new mayor of Auckland. Video / NZ Herald
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has given Ports of Auckland less than six months to come up with a plan to free up a big chunk of land for public use.
After several days of ruffling feathers at council-controlled organisations (CCOs), Brown today turned his attention to the council-owned ports company.
In a letter to ports chairwoman Jan Dawson, Brown said he no longer wants Bledisloe Wharf to be used for car imports and would like the area from the wharf to the Ferry Building turned into an area that can be enjoyed by Aucklanders.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown. Photo / Greg Bowker
In a change of tone, Brown acknowledged the commitment of Dawson to lift the performance of the port in line with its Statement of Corporate Intent, but stressed he had a mandate to act more decisively to turn around the port.
"There is no one who voted for me who should have been unaware of my view that car importation and container services should cease at the current site.
"My letter sets out several immediate priorities based on my election promises, the views of Aucklanders expressed at more than 300 campaign events, my discussions with members of the new governing body and Independent Māori Statutory Board over the past 10 days, and my statutory role to provide leadership towards a vision for Auckland," Brown said.
In the short-term, the mayor has asked the ports company to work with mana whenua Ngāti Whātua Orakei and other business and community groups, supported by his office and council officers, on a plan and timeline to develop the area from the Ferry Building to Bledisloe Wharf.
He plans to work with the Government where necessary to remove any legal or regulatory barriers to change.
The mayor also wants the ports company to move as quickly as possible to a 100 per cent rail solution to reduce congestion and lower carbon emissions.
Wayne Brown wants more port land freed up for public use. Photo / Alex Burton
He asked the ports company and Ngāti Whātua Orakei to agree and report to him on a plan by March 31 next year.
"While a passenger terminal in the CBD and berth for coastal shipping will always be needed, our strategy must involve a plan for your car importation and container operations to vacate their current location on a fixed date in the future," Brown said in his letter to Dawson.
He also drew Dawson's attention to what he regarded as a "paltry" return in recent years from the port company given the value of the council's capital investment and asked for advice on "rigorous additional benchmarks for return on capital based on valuing the port land at its highest and best use".
Brown wants the cars gone from Bledisloe Wharf so the space can be used for Aucklanders. Photo / Jason Oxenham
A ports spokeswoman said Dawson received the letter from the Mayor and will discuss it with the Ports of Auckland Board.
Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick welcomed the mayor's plans, saying on Twitter: "Let's get space back for the people of this city, and keep stripping back unnecessary cars all the way up Queen St."
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust deputy chair Ngārimu Blair welcomed Brown's call for the port to vacate the Waitematā on a definite date and engage iwi as tangata whenua on future plans for the city's waterfront.
"We welcome the opportunity to work directly with the Ports of Auckland and the Mayor on how we can quickly unlock access to the Waitematā for all Aucklanders.
"From our marae and village on Bastion Point we have long seen the encroachment of the port on our beautiful Waitematā which is no longer appropriate for a world-class city.
"Container trucks clog our city centre and motorways, and add to the city's already high transport carbon emissions. Runoff from our roads also pollutes the Waitematā which is a taonga to our fellow Aucklanders too."
On the election campaign, Brown called for the ports company to pay $400 million a year to the council - $200m in dividends and $200m in rates based on valuing the port land at its highest value.
While wanting the land on which the port company operates to be put to better use, Brown said the land "belongs to the people of Auckland, should always belong to the people of Auckland and must never be sold". He did not rule out selling the operating company.
Brown plans to raise the future of Ports of Auckland when he meets Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday.
