Auckland Council supports Ports of Auckland’s compromise on wharf extensions

Auckland Council’s Governing Body has today voted to accept a proposal from Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) aimed at addressing community concerns about the construction of two extensions to Bledisloe Wharf.

The proposal follows extensive discussions with Auckland Council, the owner of POAL, over the past fortnight. The proposal is for POAL to:

· Proceed with one of the two wharf extensions only - the B2 wharf, and commit to removing it should the forthcoming Port Future Study find that it is not required, and
· Not proceed with the B3 wharf extension until the outcome of the Port Future Study is known

Mayor Len Brown said: “This proposal aims to respond to the legitimate concerns of Aucklanders, without compromising the ability of the Ports to respond big increases in freight volume projected over the next decade.

“One of the lessons for the Ports is that Aucklanders are expecting them to consult more fully with them on their wharf development plans in future, especially when it impacts on the environment they treasure.

“The community has been clear that they want a careful and constrained approach to any growth of the Port footprint. We have to balance community concerns with the need for the Port to reflect Auckland’s continuing strong economic growth.

“The Port study we are undertaking will help drive the work we need to do to strike that balance. I am pleased that the Ports has listened to the community. That needs to translate into greater community engagement from here on.”

The draft scope and terms of reference of the Port Future Study will be reported to the Auckland Development Committee on 14 May 2015. The Governing Body noted that the proposal addresses a number of community concerns, especially around the impact on sight lines from Queens Wharf, while providing POAL with sufficient additional capacity to respond to increased freight demand.

The Chief Executive of Auckland Council, in consultation with the Chief Executive of ACIL,
will write to POAL confirming that the proposal has been accepted by Auckland Council.

ends

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