Law to fast-track Cup set-up
Business-as-usual won’t get city ready.
Special legislation is likely to be pushed through to ensure Auckland can host the America’s Cup. Official Information Act documents reveal Auckland Council raised concerns with the previous government over the timeline to deliver infrastructure for the event.
With the first syndicates expected to set up camp in Auckland in mid2019, construction on the team bases needs to start by the middle of next year. Council officials say that to meet event timeframes the planning process will have to be accelerated.
In a letter to former Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff raised the possibility of creating special legislation for the event.
“A business-as-usual approach to construction is unlikely to deliver the infrastructure on time,” Goff wrote.
“Advice provided to me indicates that the best possible mechanism for delivering the America’s Cup infrastructure [redacted] would have to be in the form of enabling legislation . . .”
It will be up to the Labour-led Government to consider Cup plans once ministerial jobs are settled.
Emirates Team New Zealand last month outlined their intentions for the 36th America’s Cup, which is timed to run January-March 2021.
One of the key details missing in the Team NZ proposal was the absence of a confirmed host city.
Team NZ boss Grant Dalton was forced to include Italy as a contingency should Auckland be unable to deliver infrastructure. The new Cup protocol included a “drop dead” date of August 31, 2018, to determine if Auckland can host.
Auckland Council and waterfront agencies are doing studies on several sites for team bases and an event village. A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) briefing document in late July outlined the council’s plans around infrastructure required to support the event, which is forecast to deliver billions of dollars into the economy.
The document provided to the Herald on Sunday was heavily redacted, with possible sites and associated costs of the development not disclosed.
Analysis provided to MBIE by Panuku Development Auckland estimated up to 30,000sq m will be required to host up to 10 syndicates.
“On advice from ETNZ, it has been deemed preferable that syndicates would be required to co-locate. Dalton believes it is vital to the event to be a success as it creates a village, which will bring the associated people, energy and atmosphere.”
The Herald on Sunday understands Team NZ’s preference is the Halsey St extension option, which will leave a legacy for the event.
There is precedent for special legislation for major events — it happened for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.