The plan includes expanding Bledisloe and Fergusson Wharves, releasing Captain Cook and Marsden Wharves for public use.
Mayor Wayne Brown said the tripartite agreement aims to improve profits and keep rates down.
Auckland councillors have endorsed a $70 million-plus project by Port of Auckland to expand into the Waitematā Harbour.
The governing body today approved a plan for the city’s port and waterfront, and a tripartite accord between the port company, Maritime Union and the council to progress the plan.
Key to the plan is the expansion of Bledisloe and Fergusson Wharves to release Captain Cook and Marsden Wharves to the council for public use.
At Bledisloe Wharf, the port company plans to build a platform between the 28m-long dolphins on either side and extend the platform a further 6.6m into the harbour.
At Fergusson Wharf, the port company plans a 34m by 45m extension to widen the wharf on the eastern side. This is alongside work for an already consented reclamation at the eastern end of the wharf.
Port chief executive Roger Gray told councillors today that the extension of Bledisloe Wharf, costing about $70m, is critical to release the two finger wharves to the council.
The port has held about 140 public meetings with iwi and stakeholders, he said, and the wharf extensions are included in the Government’s draft fast-track bill.
If the bill becomes law, consent could be granted for construction to start by the middle of next year, and take 12 to 18 months.
Gray said once the work is completed, cruise ships would begin moving from the ferry basin where their arrivals and departures have disrupted ferry services.
Fergusson Wharf at Port of Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
The plan to release Captain Cook and Marsden Wharves, which have a combined area of 3.2ha, and waterfront land down to Queens Wharf, for public use is pencilled in for the next two to five years.
The current thinking is to extend Captain Cook Wharf for cruise berths on both sides, turn Marsden Wharf into a public space with possibly some commercial development, and develop the waterfront edge with hospitality along the lines of the Viaduct Basin and Wynyard Quarter.
However, it could be many years before the public enjoys this stretch of the waterfront.
The wharves need upgrading from port to public use, some of the land is contaminated, significant stormwater and wastewater investment is required, and modifications are needed to address rising sea levels and storm surges.
The council’s Long-Term Plan through to 2034 only contains funding for a master plan. There is no money for developing the wharves, and little funding for the waterfront works at Wynyard Quarter.
The plan is to develop the waterfront edge near the Port of Auckland along the lines of North Wharf at Wynyard Quarter with hospitality.
Economist and long-time campaigner for moving the port Shane Vuletich told the Herald there needs to be a business case for the long-term planning of the port and waterfront.
“This is a pretty material chunk of cash invested in an asset that everyone has said is at the end of its life.
“I would question why we are spending scarce ratepayer money on extending an asset that needs to be relocated,” said Vuletich, who has been involved in two reports of port relocation.
At today’s meeting, Mayor Wayne Brown said the tripartite agreement emerged when the council considered selling the port as part of the Long-Term Plan.
When support around the council table for the sale fizzled, the council voted to keep the council-owned port company in public ownership with an agreement from management and the board of improved profits totalling $1.1 billion over 10 years.
Brown said the tripartite agreement is an incentive to make money, an incentive to work safely, an incentive to keep rates down (through higher dividends) and returns land to the public.
Councillor Shane Henderson praised the Port of Auckland for a strong focus on safety. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Councillor Shane Henderson said it was fitting to discuss the tripartite agreement after former port chief executive Tony Gibson was found guilty in relation to the death of stevedore Pala’amo Kalati.
In a reserved decision released yesterday, Judge Steve Bonnar KC found Gibson guilty of failing to comply with his duty to exercise due diligence to ensure Port of Auckland complied with its duties under health and safety legislation.
Henderson acknowledged the current management for making the port more profitable but also working alongside the Maritime Union with a strong health and safety focus.
“We are all working together and have confidence in the future of our port, its safety, and its contribution to our city,” he said.
Bernard Orsman is an award-winning reporter who has been covering Auckland’s local politics and transport since 1998. Before that, he worked in the parliamentary press gallery for six years.
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