Advocate group Stop Stealing Our Harbour is holding a protest rally on Queens Wharf and running an online petition to oppose Auckland Council’s 90m extension to Queens Wharf.

The protest will take place on Sunday 10 March at 3:00pm at the north end of Queens Wharf and aims to shine a light on Auckland Council’s decision to spend $14 million of ratepayer’s money on pouring more concrete into the Waitemata Harbour.

Spokesman Michael Goldwater said Aucklanders are not happy with the Mayor’s U-turn which has resulted in a 90m mooring extension to Queens Wharf.

“In 2016 Mayor Phil Goff said there would not be one more metre of concrete introduced to the harbour. Now Auckland Council is about to create two massive structures just to dock a few over-sized, foreign-owned cruise ships,” said Goldwater.

“Auckland Council has been blinded by overstated numbers exaggerating the economic benefits of a handful of ships that arrive in the morning and are gone by the afternoon.

“It’s alarming that the Council has made a decision that negatively impacts our harbour and costs ratepayers millions of dollars based on an economic report that has been discredited by two of New Zealand’s leading economists. They also ignore viable alternatives that use existing port infrastructure.”

Auckland Council’s decision was taken without any consideration of the current Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy Study, which could result in more berthage space being made available for cruise - especially for the extra-large vessels.

“Large ships of similar size have docked in Auckland before, using current port facilities. Considering these ships only visit a small number of times per year, it makes sense to schedule them into existing port berths,” said Goldwater.

“It’s exciting that the cruise industry is growing but Auckland Council is selling off the Waitemata Harbour for unguaranteed and limited economic gain, much of which will accrue to foreign-owned shipping corporations.”

The protest rally echoes the opposition voiced by many groups including CBD business association Heart of the City, Auckland heritage groups, resident associations, urban design groups and the entire boating community including Fullers Ferries, who all collectively oppose the 90m extension of Queens Wharf.

They claim it does not protect the historic heritage values and will compromise public use of the “People’s Wharf” as well as continue to reduce the recreational value of the harbour.

“The 90m extension will remove a sizeable portion of the Waitemata Harbour from public use and further industrialise the “People’s Wharf” – one of Auckland’s most important waterfront public spaces,” says Goldwater.

“Queens Wharf was purchased by the Government and Council as a downtown public waterfront arena and this proposed extension will have long-term negative effects on the public’s use of the heritage wharf for years to come.

“The council plans are shifting the balance of Queens Wharf away from dynamic and open public use to a wharf that is being increasingly commercialised for the benefit of foreign-owned cruise corporations.

“We are calling on all Aucklanders to join us to send a very loud message to Mayor Phil Goff and his council. We want to save our harbour for future generations and celebrate a waterfront that will accommodate the commercial, environmental and social opportunities of a growing city.”

With smart and innovative solutions rather than knee-jerk, ad hoc, short-term assumptions, Auckland’s waterfront and harbour can sustain our exciting economic growth as well as retaining its world-renowned natural beauty.

The protest rally is on Sunday 10 March at 3:00pm at the north end of Queens Wharf and on the water, boats to muster off Queens Wharf.

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