Auckland waterfront stadium's fate could be decided within months
Thursday, 8 November 2018
The fate of the waterfront stadium mooted for Auckland could be sealed within months, as competing futures loom for the site.
Ports of Auckland hopes to start construction next February or March on a five-storey carpark building occupying part of the Bledisloe Wharf site eyed by stadium promoters.
February is also the due date for an interim report by a government group considering whether Auckland's port could eventually be moved elsewhere.
Both processes look set to run unhindered by the Auckland Council, which the stadium promoters Auckland Waterfront Consortium hopes will take the lead on the proposed $1.8 billion venue.
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The council-owned port company has applied for building consent for its 'car handling building', and is preparing to call for tenders to start building it early next year.
The building will occupy 0.75 hectares of Bledisloe Wharf's 13ha and while it is separated from the stadium location, it would occupy space the promoters need for commercial developments that would part-fund the stadium.
'The Ports of Auckland proposal to build a carpark on Bledisloe Wharf is something we think should be revisited immediately,' consortium deputy chair Mike Sage told the council's Planning Committee this week.
The council though has delivered the stadium a double blow by side-stepping the consortium's request to fund a detailed feasibility study, and by leaving the port company free to continue with the building.
'While we consider the long-term future of the port including relocating it out of central Auckland, the port has to deal with capacity constraints and the carpark is a temporary option to do that,' Mayor Phil Goff said in a statement to Stuff.
The car-handling building means the port won't need as much wharf space to unload imported vehicles, part of a strategy that will see it surrender Captain Cook Wharf for a future cruise terminal, and demolish the remaining half of Marsden Wharf.
Ports of Auckland has released an image of the proposed design, which has generally been supported by the council's Urban Design Panel.
The building will feature a public rooftop park, and the panel backed a plan to incorporate light displays on the western and part of the southern facades.
'(It is) a mechanism for introducing creative lighting and public art opportunities, including those that would promote or enhance the distinctive cultural character of the city and harbour,' wrote the panel in its opinion.
The other longer-running process is the government working group considering the future of the upper North Island ports, with the possible relocation of Auckland's port as a key focus.
It is due to deliver an interim report in February to Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones, but this is understood to be a progress report rather than a substantial finding.
No date has been set yet for the final report from the Upper North Island Supply Chain Study Working Group.
The group in September lost one of its members, when Auckland lawyer and construction and infrastructure specialist Sarah Sinclair resigned due to a perceived conflict of interest.
The Auckland Waterfront Consortium said further detailed work on its proposal might be able to be funded by the private sector or a philanthropist.
A meeting is planned to discuss the stadium proposal with the Minister of Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson.