Council opts for Cup cluster base
Auckland Council has voted for a $124 million cluster America’s Cup Village, going against a government alternative in a stormy meeting yesterday.
The council’s governing body voted 12 to three in favour of the Wynyard Basin cluster.
It was one of two 2021 America’s Cup infrastructure options culled from four.
The cluster village around Hobson, Halsey and Wynyard Wharves has a build cost of $124m.
Of that sum, $18m would be needed to relocate current businesses that will be affected by the development.
Mayor Phil Goff dismissed a motion by several councillors wanting separate resource consent applications lodged, which would give parties extra time to decide between Wynyard Basin and Wynyard Point.
Councillor Mike Lee said he received an early-morning phone call from economic development minister David Parker who ‘‘made the plea’’ for the government’s Wynyard Point option to stay in the running.
Several councillors including Daniel Newman defended Goff during the sometimes stormy, expletive-laden debate.
‘‘I’m not going to be the a....... who voted so we couldn’t get the America’s Cup to Auckland’’.
Wynyard Basin is the preferred option of Team New Zealand, despite having to compromise on their original desire for a major redevelopment and 230m extension of Halsey Wharf.
Goff said despite the decision would go back to purse-string holding Cabinet —‘‘our decision at this meeting reflects a clear preference from council’’.
Cabinet must make a decision by January 15 on a ‘‘drop dead’’ date, Goff said.
The government still prefers an option with increased usage of the Wynyard Point area, believing it has better long-term benefits.
The concerns over the government option are whether it can be delivered on time, the costly removal of the tank farm zone, the dangers of having yachting syndicates operating near hazardous areas, and the impact it will have on the super yacht industry with planned syndicate bases wiping out the potential to increase super yacht infrastructure on the western side of Wynyard Point.
The council has advised the government that is doesn’t have the resources to continue exploring the Wynyard Point option beyond their current investigation.
That could prove problematic to the tight time schedule if the government digs its heels in.
Auckland Council are eager to get the process under way, aware of the lengthy, and potentially difficult, resource consent process that looms over the first half of next year.
It would take 14 to 16 months to deliver the Wynyard Basin option, council agency Panuku place shaping director Rod Marler told the governing body.
A resource consent would be lodged by January, 2018, followed by a 20-day public consultation in February before a consent decision by independent commissioners is made by early August with construction starting immediately.
Dredging is required to accommodate the new deep-keeled, AC75 class fully foiling monohull yachts, Marler said.
The first yachting teams could arrive as early as September, 2019.
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