KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Melissa
It's a very average idea. There are too many apartments in the city already! As for the park; I bet they make it look naff like the park by the railway station. If they do it, they should do it right and not consult some post-modernist land care specialist. Look at Albert Park for inspiration, that actually has class and people like to be there. Good idea but they'll balls it up and we'll end up with another Aotea Centre rather than the Sydney Opera House or something on par that we could have had.
Sol (Auckland)
Congratulations to ACC and Mayor Hubbard for their efforts, forward thinking and vision. At least it is creative and not some hideous shopping parade (or will it be?) or full of hotels (or will it be!). Well, it's a vision for the future and that's good, however, I have to agree with some of the other posters: get basic underground rail system sorted as first priority and improve rail links in general.The creative stuff has to come after the basics. But it deserves a nod of encouragement.
Ben (Auckland)
Where's the bravery? I feel bad complaining about something that seems so great, but looking at the photos it just looks so bland and unimaginative. Do we really need more square, flat buildings? Get some curves in there!
Kate McDowell
Fantastic. Can't wait.
Kirsten
Hmm I don't like it. It's basically a private park for the apartments that block off the park access bar a sidewalk. Use the money to build it for something useful. Develop existing parks in the city. Put in cheaper public transport. Create community centres for the youth of Auckland. So pretty much its probably going to go ahead and then we will wind up paying for something that is going to be used by the waterfront apartments.
Swede (Southland)
Very nice concept, however like many others I believe you would be better off putting the money into your public transit system first.
Dry your eyes
18.5 h with 7.5 green space and the rest apartments - what a sham. Why have apartments and not outdoor dining and multi-purpose entertainment facilities that everyone can enjoy? No city in NZ uses it waterfront as much as it should. ere is our one shot at being forward thinking and making Auckland city something special. Next request on deaf ears, a non-road focused transport overhall.
Chaz
Auckland has some fantastic parks already which are under-utilised.This will be a great place for families etc as long as getting to and from is not a problem.I remember using the free trolley bus in Queen St. in the '60's and '70's, parking up at the old Farmer's building and getting round the centre was easy and fun. Today, Auckland needs something similar, quick, cheap and simply efficient ways to get around the cities attractions, hopefully it will come, maybe another few cents on fuel?
DavidW
Please please can I be on the "joint management committee" It would see me through to retirement without having to achieve anything and will never reach an agreement on the shape of the rubbish bins let alone anything important.
Doug
Looks like a good concept especially if you're a renter and not paying rates. It may be a great concept seeing as we don't have any parks anywhere near the waterfront...like Victoria park. I for one pay enough on my rates every year and with the rising cash cow water bill could do without the extra expense. I like the idea in theory but why do I have to pay for it?
Kim H (Sydney)
It looks like a great idea.Yet we still see here that there are plenty of inward-looking anti-progress tree-hugging, lentil-eating, beard sporting, sandal-wearing leather-elbowed Nimbys.
Angela
Sounds good, but putting the funds into a better public transport system including light rail, would have been nicer.
DavidW
To Paraphrase Peter Blake: "but will it make the boat go faster?"
Ratepayer (Mt Eden)
What a waste of such a prime position, would be much better developed into a social city centre with outside eating restaurants and bars etc. No need for a bland park so difficult to get to with a large upkeep costs to the rate payers. It will only benefit the wealthy owners of apartments at the Viaduct Basin. Why not develop it as a concert venue or a general use stadium.
J-boy
Instead of spending all that money on redevelopment, how about trying to sort out some of the traffic issues and invest in a basic subway system?
Auckland fan (overseas)
The waterfront is Auckland's greatest asset. Everyone, literally everyone, needs to be sure that this is the best use of the foreshore, makes the best use of the precious waterfront resource, adds to it, and keeps everything open, for everyone. One segment of society can't take what everyone else basically accepts is their right (access to the water), and give it to someone who bought an appartment. Everyone must remember that decisions made today affect people 100 years from now.
Richard
Would have thought they would get the traffic moving first otherwise it will not matter what is built down there - no-one will be able to get to it anyway.First priority in Auckland must surely be to complete the Western ring road, followed closely by rapid rail from Britomart to the Airport - Not many cities in the world where you still have to make your way through the suburbs to get to a country's' major Airport - apart from Lagos perhaps.
Franz Iseke
In spite of the scarcity of detail, the scheme looks basically acceptable. The green spaces are great, although unimaginative in the artist impression. Are the 'bunkers' in the centre the 'iconic building proposed', or are they the new NZ 'Defence HQ' or new civic admin of the combined councils?
The proposal goes out for consultations. What consultations with the public? Is it not time for ARC/Auckland CC to put out a meaningful information pack and then put the whole scheme out for decision to the people of Auckland's isthmus, who are paying for it afterall, by a binding referendum? Or is it going to be another longwinded 'committee
nightmare'?Come on, NZ Herald, lead from the front with good
journalistic endeavors to obtain what the people of Auckland really want with this land.
Norman
This sounds fantastic. I occasionally drive around the bottom to watch boats passing and think how great it would be to have a public area there. Well done ACC
Franklin Sukebe
I say front it with a 50 ft statue of a Maori figure holding his patu aloft, a la Statue of Liberty.
Here we go again.
And the Auckland City Ratepayers will have to once again dip their hands into their pockets to fund some doubtful ACC venture??? Why should we be involved in commercial ventures? If it is such a good business deal as I am sure it will be sold to us as, let private enterprise who already will be circling like vultures fund all of this including the reserves etc.One last thing, when did Auckland's biggest Dick, ever listen to anything his ratepayers were telling him? Never is the correct answer.
Kaeo Kid
Great 6 hours of sitting in traffic to have a $8 ice cream (probably a Gelatto because ice cream is so not A Town) in the rain.
Here we go again.!!
Surely we would be better off developing some sort of waterfront park near Mt Eden. God knows we are destroying the area with a tacky stadium, lets finish it off with the water park and well and truly give people no reason to come to the Auckland city!Please Auckland, think of others and lets do the best thing for the city! Lets get this thing developed and not leave it on a piece of paper!
USA
The tank farm is a good idea for open public space.For residential or light industrial is questionable. Remember Tanks farms blow up and catch fire!
HogFather
Judging by what happened with the 'grand' plan for the water front stadium - Eden park gets a few more temporary seats on advice from a "spectator seating export", Here comes weeks of headline news and silly child-like politics. At the end of it Auckland city will just get a new tree planted on a grass verge.My point is our politicians are very good at coming up huge and grand ideas, but they always give way to some complainant. Does the Auckland V8 street race come to mind?
terrylev
Fantastic. Where do I sign? I would far rather have a park like this in perpetuity that another "pink elephant" stadium. Paying rates for something of this order is worth it.
Harry Kay
Our civic leaders are great in organising "artists impressions" and making bold statements. This is a good example. Having got the people excited they can now sit back and do very little until they need another set of graphics to get people's attention, probably closer to the next elections. And dont forget the objectors. There is always a group of Aucklanders who will object to anything that is not just grass and trees. If the plan is for the next 20 years, read 40 or never.Hope I am wrong.
Richard
Looks great...it's a start to what could be an impressive harbour. I can see ferry services going from the Tank farm development to Hobsonville's new development, dropping people off for bush walks through Kauri park reserve then out to Te Atatu peninsular and across to point Chev...etc etc The whole inner harbor is under utilised, it's a fantastic asset. It could become become a real draw-card for Auckland Tourism and economy.
Paul
More rates rises on the horizon.........great concept, but why will I have to pay? I agree with others, $230M will blow out to double as per usual. Already Akld City costs me in my rates 2005/6 $1084 and this last year $1660. (a massive 50 per cent incr in 1 year!)And water is to double etc over coming years. This is one cash cow (sic) that has had enough. My property in Akld central is for sale ---- let the overseas yachties buy me out.Can I pitch a tent in the park?
Ian Morine
Shame about the Waterfront Stadium - that would have given us an "iconic building", repeated no-where else in the world, in much less time (by 2011, rather an 25 to 30 years away), all paid for by the government and much more central to downtown Auckland and several public transport options. All because of the ARC short sighted "uniconic" leader, Mike Lee - a lost opportunity !/span>
G Man
Looks good - nice to see a park. we need more green space in this city that is cursed with 60's and 70's style 'town-planning'. However, we must be wary of calls for an 'iconic' building - modern architecture / architects have failed miserably to deliver on this front for decades.
Marky Mark
It's really disappointing to see prime coastal land have great big apartment blocks and shops built on it. The whole Tank Farm area should have been cleared to create a great big park for everyone to enjoy, like that of Stanley Park in Vancouver and Central Park in New York. We should be removing buildings from the waterfront not blocking it off forever by building more. It would have been great to see some really big amazing green belt that everyone could have enjoyed. Good on old Snap Crackle Pop (Dick Hubbard), not.
Tim
I'm glad to see there is finally some agreement and action being taken. I am also glad they have included a fair amount of public space which will help minimise the 'visual' pollution of apartment buildings. As far as the commercial segment of the tank farm goes, it seems obvious that there needs to be a profit made from this development. However, the opportunity for profit shouldn't be made at the expense of the visual appeal of this space, and I believe there needs to be strict controls on the type and style of buildings that end up here. Just because we have a nice green park, it doesn't mean it will hide a big ugly building behind it that was built to solely maximise rentable space.How about some restrictions that ensure buildings are sustainable and reach at least a Level 4 Green Star rating form the NZ Green Building Council, as we'll as design guidelines ensuring buildings fit in with, as well as complement the surrounding environment.
Come-on Auckland lets make a statement with this amazing piece of land - the long-term benefits will far out-weigh the short-term profits!
Big Amp
Another innovative and imaginative way to squander money, that can be legally stolden from ratepayers, dreamed up by the Auckland city council and their mates the ARC. And all the time time raw sewage flows into our harbour; no money to fix that. Why dont they stop doing the things you should not be doing and start doing the things that they should be? Leave the tank farm alone. In its own way, it is pretty and iconic enough as it is.
Auckwacker
They obviously think we're not going to win the Americas Cup!
Mohammed Quadri
It will be in the interest of the New Zealand as a nation, to concentrate on building Metro Train system for a big city like Auckland rather than taking a chance on Waterfront which is not definitely going to improve anything for Aucklanders. And also not at the expense of ratepayers. No more rate increase please!
Gavin, Auckland
It's a step in the right direction. But lets take it further towards making Auckland an internationally recognisable city. I am glad to see that space has been earmarked for an iconic building. An iconic building at the end of Wynyard point could become as recognisable as the Statue of Liberty or the Sydney Opera House.My Suggestion. Silver Fern House. The fern rising out of the sea represents Auckland and New Zealands birth from the sea. It's a strong simple form that would become instantly recognisable around the world.
Phillip Taylor
20-25 years to build! My god, don't rush it, add inflation and the price will treble, just build it now and let people enjoy it. This is a poor deal, I don't believe that in 5 years the plans will be held to. Soon it'll be trimmed, less public use and more commercial use, to pay for the cost increases. Sorry to be negative, but how long does it take to out the tanks and plant some grass?
Gary Ewen
What will happen to the tank storage currently on the site as you make no mention of where this is to be moved to? If it is going to Tauranga which is the nearest deep water port then we have an environmental disaster with all of the trucks transporting the essential supplies up to Auckland industry. Auckland still needs a tank farm, perhaps not on the current site but the need definitely exists.
Alf (Pauanui Beach)
That would be wonderful!This is how Auckland should present itself to the world green and clean and not with a bloody stadium which would have been nothing but a copy from the stadium in Munich anyway.Go for it.
KH
Looks very nice but don't I would rather the money put into public transport, trains and better roads around Auckland.
Glenz
Look great! Now imagine if the high maintenance bridge was replaced by 3 tunnels starting at Barry's point road linking the southern, Eastern and Western motorways. We could restore the waterfront to look the same.
Skpp
Means another increase in all rates, water etc.... When City council does not have funds to improve infrastructure in Auckland and keeps on raising rates to fund , think over it Aucklanders from where the money will come from? /span>
MC
Well it sounds like a great idea....but I am just wondering what hidden costs will be associated with the project. Has a feasibility study been done on costs and benefits.I just hope that the council does not start raising our rates, water, etc to pay for this. Not to mention building apartments for rich people and once they move in they will start to set conditions for people (Aucklanders) to access the waterfront.I hope all the criteria has been looked at and hope its not another bad decision by soon to be ex-councillors.
Nick
Very impressive! However, I have two concerns. What percentage has been set aside for current or future Maori claims and will it be called the Clark and Hubbard Memorial Park?
GG
Great idea. Lets make a statement with an iconic building and take inspiration from the likes of Dubai or the Guggenheim Museum.Auckland needs a bit of a spruce up.... And spending 36 million on a few palms in Queen St really doesnt cut it.
ESW (Henderson)
Looks great. Is that a swimming pool on the landward side? Hope so.
Charles Aldous
Sounds okay.
R
I think it looks great. It's about time Auckland City begins to plan for the future, rather then simply correcting bungled plans which become outdated five years later. Securing public-access land and building an iconic and 'useable' building will begin to set-up Auckland like Sydney, and the way it should be. Less apartments (rate money) and more enjoyable and attractive inner-city areas are the way to go - good job!
Jeff H
Great to see there will be such a large expanse of green space adjacent to the water. The Headland Park will become as popular as Mission Bay Reserve and Devonport.
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