Monday 20 November 2006

Waterfront Stadium Statement

At a Board meeting of Ports of Auckland Limited held today, the Directors received a report from the management concerning the waterfront stadium proposal. The Company’s position as agreed to by the Directors may be summarised as follows.

There are a range of works which would have to be carried out to enable land to be released to enable work on the platform and stadium to be commenced. The Company would release the land were it to be agreed:

• that those works be done at no cost to the Company
• be commenced and completed in time to enable relocation of the Company’s affected operations to permit normal port work to be carried on without interruption of its service to its customers; and
• that the Company be compensated for all damage to its business.
It would take some time to build substitute facilities after all consents were received. Other interim facilities may be able to be provided to enable earlier access to the site but none has been found so far that meets the stadium timeline.

The Company’s position has been made clear in letters sent to the Minister dated 3 November and to the Chief Executives of Auckland City Council and Auckland Regional Council dated 13 November 2006.

The overriding concern of Directors is to maintain the efficient operation of the port and the quality of service to its customers.

Since the “waterfront” option was first mooted, the Company has always been prepared to consider any specific proposition. It has actively co-operated with the Government to investigate various possibilities but to date the Company has not seen what it considers to be a feasible proposition and it has not received any commercial proposal to evaluate.
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