Len Brown puts Auckland port on the spot

Marsden Wharf. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Mayor to ask why council or public not told of plans to demolish end of Marsden Wharf

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is seeking an urgent explanation from Ports of Auckland after it announced plans yesterday to begin demolishing the end of Marsden Wharf next week.

"While Ports of Auckland is within its rights to begin the work, I am disappointed that they would fail to mention it to their shareholders, political governors or the wider public at a time of considerable public interest," he said.

The ports company only told the council about its plans on Tuesday and issued a statement yesterday saying the wharf structure was at the end of its useful life.

Marsden Wharf, the smallest of the finger wharves to the west of its main port terminals, has not been used for cargo ships for many years, the company said.

The firm wants to remove the deck of the northern section - a concrete piled structure - not the southern section, which is reclaimed land.

Mr Brown said he would meet board chairman Graeme Hawkins and chief executive Tony Gibson in the coming days to seek an explanation after the 100 per cent council-owned company failed to tell him and councillors of the work ahead of recent discussions about a central wharves strategy.

A ports spokesman said the company had no response to the mayor's position, but said its plans to reduce the length of Marsden Wharf had been in the public domain for years.

Councillor Chris Darby said it appeared the mayor was a week late in asking questions of the company.

"While he is rightly asking questions of the announcement, he ignores the bombshell dropped on Aucklanders last week when the port company's cunning plan to create massive wharf extensions to facilitate cavernous reclamations was revealed."

Last week, councillors were surprised to learn that council officers had approved consent for the port company for two wharf extensions into Waitemata Harbour and would need to reclaim 3ha of seabed.

Mr Darby is seeking a notice of motion to hold an extraordinary meeting of the council's Auckland development committee to revoke a decision last week to weaken controls over further harbour reclamation for port use.

Demolition due
• Ports of Auckland announces plans to demolish Marsden Wharf
• Mayor Len Brown seeks an urgent explanation form port bosses
• Cr Chris Darby seeks to revoke weaker rules for harbour reclamation