Council decides on two issues

 

Effectively two decisions were made yesterday, one in terms of the Central Wharves and the other the Port.

Central Wharves

Yesterday Rick Warden from the City Centre Integration Group ran through six options available to the Council on what to with the Central Wharves. The situation arises from the growing cruise and superyacht industries, appetite for more public space, and the Port’s continued operations.

Rick delivered an excellent representation backed up with a Powerpoint Presentation. I have the presentation below however, the video of the presentation is not up yet. Once it is I will link it into this post for your viewing.

Rick Walden’s Presentation

The Presentation Powerpoint

 

In short and what would frame the Committee Resolutions later is that Option Four was in the CCIG’s opinion the best option available (according to an evaluation Matrix which is in the presentation above). However, there is one uncertainty and one natural consequence if Council ever chose Option Four of the Central Wharves Strategy.

The one uncertainty is the long wharf over at Wynyard Quarter which houses the liquid bulk terminal. The area is owned by Waterfront Auckland (who own Queens Wharf where the current cruise ship terminal is) and the Tank Farm with the liquid terminal is due to disappear within a decade.

With the wharf space at Wynyard to be vacant and Wynyard Quarter undergoing urban renewal could that wharf be set up to take a large cruise liner thus relieving pressure on the Central Wharves? Something for the Council and for that matter the public to consider.

 

The natural consequence on most of the options including Option Four with the Central Wharves is that Port of Auckland loses Captain Cooks Wharf that handles general and dry bulk cargo. Thus the question presents itself does the Port be allowed to compensate the loss by adding onto Bledisole Wharf to the east? The straight forward answer is yes and the logic behind it can be seen here: FREIGHT OR TOURISTS AND PEOPLE – PART 2

I note that the Auckland Development Committee has allowed the rule change for Port expansion be dropped back from Non Complying to Discretionary for the Unitary Plan. More on that further down.

 

So the decision the Auckland Development Committee came down with was:

The recommendation to the committee was to endorse further investigative work on the preferred option to develop Captain Cook wharf. 

No decision was made to endorse the preferred option. The committee decided that a further in-depth report was required describing the issues and opportunities, timing and funding optionsincluding opportunities for involvement of stakeholder groups and public engagement.

It was passed by 16 votes to 5.

Committee chair Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse said: “This area is incredibly important to Auckland so we have to get it right here, not rush, have a good look and make sure we do it properly.

“What this decision means is that nothing is set in stone or has been agreed-other than to investigate further. This will give us the ability and perspective necessary for us to make appropriate, informed decisions about the future of the wharves. This is just the start of the journey.”

……..

Source: Auckland Council debriefings

That is a total muddle around with the English language insofar as Council did give its “endorsement” or rather preference to Option Four 😛

But what has been added is that wider consultation especially with the public will be done on Option Four as well as the other Options presented by CCIG.

 

Council To Set Rule Back to Discretionary

Also yesterday but in the Closed session the Council seems to have resolved that when it starts mediation at the Unitary Plan Hearings on the Port it will take the position that Port expansions will be a Discretionary Activity under the Unitary Plan not a Non-Complying Activity.

Meaning under the Resource Management Act the Port if it was to take any expansion would still need to get consents (of which they would be publicly notified) but not jump as many hoops under Discretionary as it would Non Complying.

The vote while not confirmed was 9-8 in favour of sending the rule back to Discretionary.

It is to note that this will play out in the public arena soon when the Unitary Plan Hearings Panel works through the rules around the Port after mediation. When those Hearings are I am not sure and would need to check.

 

But in the meantime my own stance has not changed from supporting Option Four with the proviso of no net loss to Port cargo space and operations. Not when it affects $380m worth of economy to South Auckland.