KEY POINTS:
The proposal by the chairman of the Auckland Regional Council Mike Lee and his deputy Michael Barnett for a more accessible waterfront is something of a Trojan horse: it seems designed to make it more palatable for the Government to fork out towards a new passenger terminal.
The Government will reap tax revenue from economic activity at the port but it does so now: the forecast doubling, in two seasons, of cruise arrivals does not suggest that the industry is profoundly discouraged by the facilities currently on offer. And the associated "range of amenities" mentioned conjures up chilling images of tourist-tat concessions keen on separating adipose, bum-bagged septuagenarian visitors from their money.
The ARC chief's suggestion is welcome, but it needs to be disentangled from the entirely separate idea of a new passenger terminal. The case for the latter must be made on its own distinct merits, not dressed up as if it were returning the waterfront to the proposal. It is entirely possible that the development of Queens Wharf to satisfy the needs of the global cruise industry can be undertaken so as not to clash with the creation of a people-friendly precinct that will unite city and harbour. But it is not probable and the proponents of this scheme are a long way from demonstrating that it is even likely.
