Water sports centre for Okahu Bay

Auckland’s coastline is about to get a new landmark.

The Hyundai Marine Sports Centre is in its final planning stages at the existing Royal Akarana Yacht Club site in Okahu Bay.

The multi-sport facility has been granted resource consent and Fletcher Construction is set to pick up the $12 million contract.

Akarana Marine Sports Charitable Trust general manager Andrew Brookland says it’s been a long time coming. ‘‘ We love the way the building looks,’’ he says.

‘‘The site and city deserves this and the opening up of the waterways to more people.’’

Discussions about the Tamaki Drive site began in 2005 and work was planned to start last year.

However fundraising targets weren’t met and resource consent took longer than anticipated due to logistics around traffic and parking.

Most of the centre’s front will be glass to maximise the view of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Island.

Solar panels are also on the wishlist so the centre can become selfsufficient, Brookland says.

It will play host to a number of school sports teams and clubs including paddleboarding, triathlon and sailing.

New Zealand Laser Radial class sailor Sara Winther is confident the new centre will help with her Olympic ambitions.

‘‘This facility will be of a size and quality to be able to host large international events, which will not only We love the way the building looks. The site and city deserves this and the opening up of the waterways to more people assist with my road to Rio but will also help support the up and coming sailors of New Zealand,’’ Winther says.

Brookland says a number of schools have expressed interest in the facility including Western Springs College, Tamaki College and Selwyn College.

The building will also enable the development of a separate Waka Centre for Ngati Whatua Orakei, he says.

Co-founder of Orakei Water Sports Donna Tamaariki is confident that the standards of the community will be met.

‘‘The biggest success of this project moving forward are the users who have supported it.’’

Tamaariki says there is further opportunity to improve the waterways at Okahu Bay.

‘‘It would be even better if Whai Mai Ltd’s [Ngati Whatua Orakei’s tribal development company] submissions to remove the moorings are successful,’’ she says.

‘‘There is so much history and significance of Okahu Bay.’’