Ports of Auckland cede Westhaven walkways

By WAYNE THOMPSON

The public footprint on some prized harbourside land was enlarged yesterday in a deal between Ports of Auckland and the Auckland City Council.

A feature of the agreement is an extension of the public walkway around Westhaven Marina and a guarantee of permanent public access to Hobson West Marina, a popular place for strolling and looking at the superyachts at berth.

The council is also looking at buying both marinas, having resolved last Thursday to make a "possible formal bid" for the marinas and any other of Ports' assets for sale that the council's waterfront working party considers necessary.

The working party was set up in November to oversee the development of the waterfront from Westhaven to the Marine Rescue Centre at Mechanics Bay.

Its chairman, councillor Scott Milne, said yesterday that the council would investigate how it could pay for the marinas.

He said if the decision was made to tender, the public would be invited to have its say on whether a bid should go ahead.

To meet tender deadlines, consultation could be done as part of the feedback sought for the long-term community plan, due out in April.

Mr Milne said the council had a high priority on developing a strategy to meet new opportunities, such as Westhaven and the proposed park west of the Harbour Bridge.

He said the new public access agreement, in which no money changed hands, would cut the Harbour Park area out of the Westhaven sale process.

The ports company is sending out information packs to prospective tenderers for the marinas, which have an estimated combined value of $50 million, this week.

Ports company chief executive Geoff Vazey said its grassed area adjoining the Harbour Bridge on-ramp from Herne Bay, would be excluded from the sale along with Westhaven Drive and the Curran St extension private road.

Mr Milne said the council was interested in buying the slither of park land near the Point Erin reef, a popular fishing spot, which has an open space zoning that rules it out as a potential site for apartments.

Mr Vazey said it was always the company's intention that the public could continue to enjoy the marina environment.

In 1997, the council put covenants around most of the marina foreshore under the Reserves Act.

A condition of the reclamation of sea bed for the marina was an esplanade reserve along the sea frontage, and this would be binding on any subsequent owners.

But critics say the public's strip is just a footpath - ranging from 1.2m to 700cm - not wide enough for two-way pedestrian traffic.

Following yesterday's agreement, the public footpath-wide strip is no wider but it has been extended from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron building to the gap where boats enter and leave the marina.

In return, the council takes responsibility from the company for the maintenance and road costs.

The marina boat ramp, one of the most popular on the harbour, is in the deal too, but any new owner would be able to charge for its use.