Lack of wharf space = cruise ships not visiting NZ entirely

I suppose this is a natural consequence of the Isthmus and North Shore Councillors playing silly buggers over the Port situation (Port of Auckland Wharves Compromise Passes):

From Radio NZ

It said, without the extension, it could not berth the Ovation of the Seas, which means the mega-liner may also drop stops at four other New Zealand ports.

The 5000-passenger liner, which enters service next year, was pencilled in for four visits to Auckland the summer after next.

Ports of Auckland said it would have berthed at the Bledisloe Three extension, which it has now agreed with its owner, the Auckland Council, not to build for now.

………

Craig Harris, the managing director of the ship’s port agent ISS-Mackay, said the season would have been worth an estimated $12 million dollars to Auckland and $40 million for the country.

Mr Harris said the Auckland stop was called a “passenger exchange” and was critical to Ovation of the Seas coming to New Zealand.

“If the ship can’t get into Auckland, and Auckland is required because there’s 5000 passengers, going through airport and hotels, the ship won’t come to New Zealand at all,” he said.

Auckland’s deputy mayor Penny Hulse said the council understood that the compromise of allowing just one of the two proposed extensions would affect some cruise visits.

“We’re looking at some other and alternative arrangements for cruise ships, and we think we might be able to accommodate one or two of those,” Ms Hulse said.

“Cruises, although very important to us, are not the lifeblood of Auckland – cargo ships are the lifeblood of Auckland.”

………..

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/top/272605/no-auckland,-no-industry-cruise-nz

Interesting but expected remarks from the Deputy Mayor who has put industry at the forefront rather than the cruise ‘industry’ itself.  It seems familiar to my own take here: Freight or Tourists?

In any case the failure of the Isthmus and North Shore Councillors to actively seek an alternative such as getting Wynyard Wharf online (438m long and our longest by over 100 metres) rather than being purely obstinate might have just cost other regions of New Zealand some $40m in ship visits. That is going to go down real well with our perceptions against the rest of NZ – seriously (Poll Suggests Support for the Port)

. Wynyard Wharf would allow to take the best of both worlds in allowing the cruise ships AND catering for our freight and industry. Win win for all.

I hope the Southern, Western and Rodney Councillors might be a bit more proactive after the compromise and get Wynyard ready ASAP!