Divisions over base for yachts

Govt, council take different paths in search of America’s Cup solution

Auckland councillors are today being asked to approve a location for the America’s Cup bases while the Government continues to investigate a different location.

Mayor Phil Goff is expected to follow the advice of officers and support the Wynyard Basin location that involves a 75m extension to Halsey Wharf and a 75m extension to Hobson Wharf.

Last month, Auckland Council narrowed down the base location for the 36th America’s Cup to a land-based option on Wynyard Pt and Wynyard Wharf known as the Wynyard Pt option, or an extension to Halsey Wharf and Hobson Wharf with bases on Wynyard Wharf known as the Wynyard Basin option.

Both Team New Zealand and Auckland Council have previously signalled support for the Wynyard Basin option.

The Government is not convinced of the environmental downsides of the Wynyard Basin option and is continuing to explore Wynyard Pt.

In a report for today’s meeting, council officers say this option has risks, including being sandwiched between hazardous substance facilities, prohibitive costs to break existing leases, contamination issues and road closures.

“Staff consider that these are significant issues to address and represent serious challenges to deliverability.

“At the time of writing this report the minister has committed to further investigation [of] the Wynyard Pt (variant) option to ensure that he is confident that all options have been exhausted,” said the officers’ report to councillors.

Environment Minister David Parker, who has responsibility for the America’s Cup, is in Buenos Aires in Argentina at a World Trade Organisation meeting as Trade Minister and could not be reached for comment.

Yesterday, a who’s who of 50 Auckland architects and designers wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Parker and Goff supporting the Wynyard Pt option.

They said Team NZ’s preferred plan, which included extending the wharves 75m, would come at a huge public cost and block panoramic views from Te Wero Island, the Vodafone Events Centre and the Maritime Museum.

They said the Wynyard Pt option would be a great opportunity to open up industrial waterfront land for further urban development in future.

The Wynyard Pt (variant) option would still involve a 74m extension to Hobson Wharf for one double base, but only a 15m extension of Halsey Wharf for two single bases, compared with a 75m extension for four double bases under Wynyard Basin option.

The council is being urged to make a decision so a resource consent can be lodged by mid-January.