4 December 2001

Auckland Mayor Applauds Formation Of New Waterfront Advisory Group

Auckland Mayor John Banks strongly supports a new Advisory Group in its aim to produce a long-term master plan for redevelopment of a significant stretch of Auckland’s waterfront.

“I’m keenly interested. There are uses in the area that have outlived their time as Auckland evolves and Council have wanted to address the future of this precinct for a long time. It’s vitally important to get the long-term planning right and we applaud the landowners’ initiative,” Mr Banks said.

The Auckland Waterfront Advisory Group has been set up by Infrastructure Auckland and landowners Viaduct Harbour Holdings Limited, Ports of Auckland Limited and Americas Cup Village Limited.

The Advisory Group will spend 2002 producing a blueprint for redevelopment of the area between the Viaduct Harbour edge in the east to just past the harbour bridge in the west. The master plan will extend over the next 20 years and beyond.

Sydney-based international urban planner Malcolm Latham has been appointed Chairman of the Advisory Group. The Project Director on the ground in Auckland is John Whitehead, a local property consultant of long standing.

A core group of six local architects and urban planners has been established to work with the Advisory Group on development of the vision and master plan. This will be done in conjunction with an international review panel that will bring expertise from major international projects of similar importance. The evolving master plan will also be subjected to the input of a diversified “reference group” of local interests.

“This provides a wonderful opportunity to apply some international vision to the future development of this important part of Auckland’s waterfront,” said Advisory Group Chairman Malcolm Latham.

“We want to develop a long-term vision and master plan according to the best of international standards that will complement the significant local planning and architectural talent. In this way the Auckland waterfront will benefit from the best of both worlds.”

Mr Latham emphasised the importance of achieving a plan that met the expectations of the people of Auckland as well as those of the landowners. The long-term timeframe would ensure ample opportunity for public consultation and input as planning evolved.

In addition, the Advisory Group would work closely with Auckland City to ensure council planning requirements were met.

The master plan would focus very much on the long term, with development occurring gradually as land became available for redevelopment. Long-term leases existed for some properties in the area and development activities would take these into account, Mr Latham said.

The Advisory Group expects the production of the long-term vision and master plan to take about a year. It encompasses land currently in a mix of uses, including small marine-related enterprises, Viaduct Harbour hospitality businesses, America’s Cup syndicate bases, commercial businesses, Wynyard Wharf and what is known as the tank farm, and Westhaven Marina.

The area is bounded in the west by a strip of Ports of Auckland land just beyond the harbour bridge. It is bounded in the south and east by the motorway and Fanshawe Street. The area does not include Hobson Wharf.

The land bounded by Fanshawe Street, the Viaduct Harbour and Pakenham Street West is owned by Viaduct Harbour Holdings Limited, while the Halsey Street Extension is held by Americas Cup Village Limited. Ports of Auckland owns Westhaven Marina, the New Western Viaduct at the end of the Halsey Street Extension, Wynyard Wharf and the area north of Packenham West, and Westhaven Marina.

ENDS

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