Council secures park at Viaduct

By WAYNE THOMPSON

The future of the Eastern Viaduct as a public park by the sea has been sealed with its purchase by the Auckland City Council for more than $5 million from Ports of Auckland.

During the America's Cup regattas, the area was the site for the Telecom Pavilion but is at present a car park.

It includes the open area from the National Maritime Museum to the superyacht marina berths.

The chairman of the council's recreation and events committee, Scott Milne, said it was one of the most important open-space buys the city had made.

The 6155 sq m viaduct was a vital part of the council's plan to turn the area into "a thriving heart" of the city and to open the city to the sea.

He pictured the area becoming the home for the Volvo and other global ocean races, dragon-boat racing and triathlons, as well as recreational space.

City planning manager John Duthie said the council had spent $49 million on infrastructure in the viaduct area.

Rates money would not be needed for the purchase. Instead, it would be paid for from a fund of cash payments by neighbouring developers in lieu of providing reserves.

For the next two years, the area would be used as a car park when events were not being staged there, to build up a fund for landscaping work.