Public access secure at Westhaven Marina

Public access to Westhaven Marina has been secured in perpetuity following an agreement reached today between Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) and the Auckland City Council.

The proposed sale of Westhaven Marina and the smaller Hobson West Marina was announced by POAL last year and the tender process will begin soon.

Both POAL and the council were eager to extend and formally secure public access to both marinas prior to the sale. At Westhaven Marina, a legal agreement currently exists protecting public pedestrian access around the water’s edge for most of the marina. However, Westhaven Drive east of the Harbour Bridge is a private road with no specific provision for public vehicular access. Hobson West also lacked a formal guarantee for continuing public access along the marina’s wharf areas.

At Westhaven Marina: perpetual public access for pedestrians and vehicles has been secured to Westhaven Drive, the public boat ramp and the adjacent trailerpark area pedestrian access has been secured in perpetuity for the grassed beach area at St Mary’s Bay the existing public pedestrian access around the water’s edge has been extended beyond the yacht clubs to the end of the northern reclamation

In addition to these arrangements, two key areas of the marina have been removed from the sale process so that further work on the best use of the areas can be undertaken by the council and POAL. These two areas are Westhaven Drive, and the Curran Street extension private road and adjoining grassed land, known as the Harbour Bridge Park

At the 22-berth Hobson West Marina, which is adjacent to the New Zealand National Maritime Museum at Hobson Wharf, the existing public pedestrian access has also been formally secured.

“Today’s agreement with Ports of Auckland will protect access regardless of who owns the marinas in future. The council sees this as one important step in an extensive programme of activities which will preserve Auckland’s waterfront for future generations,” says Councillor Scott Milne, chairperson of the council’s Waterfront Working Party.

“We’ve been impressed at Ports of Auckland’s willingness to work with us to achieve this.”

POAL chief executive Geoff Vazey says: “Ports of Auckland is pleased to have worked constructively with Auckland City, to extend and formalise the existing public access, particularly at Westhaven Marina. It has always been our intention that public enjoyment of the marina environs would continue into the future.”

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