Waitemata Waterfront Development Design Competition

Media Briefing with Dr Bruce Hucker, Auckland City Deputy Mayor and Design Brief Assessment Panel Member
Old CPO building, Queen Elizabeth Square, Queen Street
Tuesday October 10, 2000 at 11am

 Welcome to this media briefing for the Waitemata Waterfront Development. We are very heartened by the media support and goodwill for this project and are pleased to have you here with us today.

 With me are Professor John Hunt, the Convenor of the Assessment Panel and John Duthie, Auckland City’s Acting Director of Planning Services. Her Worship The Mayor Christine Fletcher regrets that she is unable to be here today due to an important prior engagement. She has asked me to pass on her best wishes to you all.

 We are here this morning to present to you the expanded concept designs of the seven winners of Stage One of the Waitemata Waterfront Design Competition.

 These seven talented finalists were chosen from a field of 153 entries to participate in Stage Two of this exciting project. Today we see the results of the plans they have worked on for the last three months; and it is clear that we now have the basis to progress the final stages of this design competition with confidence.

 The seven Stage One finalists have formed their own design teams to submit one entry each with a particular focus on architecture, urban design and landscape architecture skills.

 As a result, the seven designs in this room form the basis of Stage Two, incorporating the main points of -
South Pacific identity;
Retention of heritage buildings;
Relocation of the Queen Street railway station;
A rapid transport corridor;
Buses at ground level.

 I acknowledge the effort, vision and talent that has gone into these entries displayed on the walls in this room.

 As a member of the assessment panel, I know that the first stage of assessing this design competition presented an enormous challenge. Given the excellence of these expanded concepts, I can see that the next assessment round will present a challenge equally as great.

 The assessment process will be carried out from now until Friday 3 November, following which a winner, or winners, will be announced.

 The assessment panel comprises:
Professor John Hunt (convenor)
Her Worship the Mayor, Christine Fletcher
Myself, Deputy Mayor Dr Bruce Hucker
Councillor Doug Astley
Ngarimu Blair (Ngati Whatua representative)
Ian Athfield (NZ Institute of Architects representative)
Clinton Bird (NZ Institute of Architects representative
Graeme Horsley (Property Council representative)
Paul Asquith (Bus and Coach Association representative)

 A key part of the Waitemata Waterfront Development has been public input and participation and again we are inviting people to have their say in this exciting project.
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 We need public comments and opinions to help us progress the next stage of this development. Forms are available at the Old Chief Post Office from 10 to 24 October and we are hoping for the same level of public enthusiasm we enjoyed in the first stage of this innovative competition.

 Thankyou for attending. Professor Hunt, John Duthie or I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

ends

For further information
Please contact
Dr Bruce Hucker
Telephone 373 7599 ext 8648 or 025 722 294

Or Suzanne Sinclair, Waitemata Waterfront Display Centre Manager: Telephone 309 1851

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