Plea to keep marina in local hands

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Auckland boat-owners are being urged to club together to outbid overseas buyers for Westhaven Marina on the Waitemata Harbour.

Ports of Auckland said yesterday that it would seek foreign buyers for both Westhaven and the glamorous Hobson West Marina, which was home to 22 superyachts during the America's Cup regattas.

The announcement sparked immediate talk of a local bid to retain at least Westhaven.

The company would not say how much it wants for the properties but one estimate last night valued Westhaven at $60 million.

Ports of Auckland chairman Neville Darrow said the publicly owned company would start an international tender process within a few months.

Westhaven, believed to be the largest marina in the Southern Hemisphere, with berths and moorings for 1800 vessels, was a healthy business, he said.

The company was concentrating on its container operations at the eastern end of the waterfront. Properties not needed for container handling would be sold, said Mr Darrow.

The commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Bill Endean, said Auckland boat-owners would not like to see Westhaven pass into foreign ownership.

The sale plan was an opportunity for a group of boat-owners to buy the marina, he said.

Westhaven had already been paid for by original berth-holders in their licence fees, which funded the marina's development.

Mr Endean said buying the marina would give security of access for future generations, and yacht clubs would feel more comfortable about investing in facilities if they had freehold title to land.

The sale plan was described last night as a "complete bombshell" by marina berth-holder Hans Swete, a committee member and former commodore of the Richmond Yacht Club at Westhaven.

He was disappointed that the company had not talked to berth-owners.

Any sale was likely to push up the cost of buying or renting berths and servicing charges, said Mr Swete.

Waterfront sources said Ports of Auckland had sold occupation rights for half the berths at Westhaven, with prices depending on the length of the berth.

Occupation rights for both marinas end by September 2026. The other Westhaven berths are rented.

Victoria Cruising Club commodore Russell Stewart said Westhaven was sacred as recreation reserve land, which should be left as a public amenity.

Mr Stewart said a sale to a private investor might lead to increased charges - and many boaties already considered Westhaven costs to be excessive. One berth-owner said a berth suitable for a 10m yacht cost about $35,000.

Renting a berth for a vessel of that size was about $100 a week.