Tank Farm's public areas likely to be trimmed

The Auckland City Council is setting out to reduce the amount of public space at the Tank Farm waterfront development.

The proposal is the third issue affecting the Auckland waterfront in as many weeks. The much-maligned design contest for Queens Wharf has been halted and revised plans for a hotel at the Britomart heritage precinct have aroused public disdain.

Three years on from a hard-fought battle to create a network of public spaces at the Tank Farm, some "privatisation" of open space is on the cards.

The council proposes to narrow two strips of open space by 2m, and halve the width of Wynyard Plaza from 20m to 10m.

The loss of public space is linked to keeping the Sanford fish market, which is crucial to fishing industry activities at the Tank Farm.

Sanford was concerned at the loss of 20m of its site to widen Daldy St for a linear park that stretches the length of the Tank Farm from Victoria Park.

The company's concerns have been addressed by widening the road on the western side of Daldy St, away from the fish market.

However, the flow-on effect has been to squeeze a block earmarked for some of the tallest buildings at the Tank Farm of up to 14 storeys.

In order to retain a "practical building site", the council has proposed halving the width of Wynyard Plaza, which bisects the block.

A resource consent application said the net effect "will restrict the use of the land for public open space" and the "privatisation" of land will require careful urban design.

Senior council planner John Duthie said the proposals would have only a minimal effect on public space. The linear park along Daldy St, originally planned to be 40m wide, would be between 35m and 38m as a result of changes to the northern strips and after discovering the roadway was narrower than 20m, he said.

The rationale for halving the width of Wynyard Plaza was to create an intimate lane environment.

"We have got some beautiful, open streetscape spaces," Mr Duthie said.

But Heart of the City chief executive Alex Swney, who was instrumental in the 2006 debate for more public space on the headland at the Tank Farm, was aghast at the loss of public land for the linear park and Wynyard Plaza.

The linear park, he said, was based on being 20m on either side, but all of a sudden it was 18m.

"We are infamous for incrementally planning away our city. We do it every day of the week in Auckland. When are we going to draw a line in the sand and say this is what we want the thing to look like?"

The first plans for the multibillion-dollar upgrade of the 35ha Tank Farm, west of downtown Auckland, are based on an entertainment precinct and waterfront promenade for the 2011 Rugby World Cup festivities.

Sea + City, the public body developing the Tank Farm, is seeking resource consent to develop Jellicoe St and the historic North Wharf.