Next step in battle over Cup site

The possibility of Team NZ taking the 2021 America’s Cup overseas remains open as the resource consent process kicks off today, while the Government continues to investigate a different option for the Cup’s base.

Economic Development Minister David Parker says that if the alternative Wynyard Point option is practical, then it should be considered — even though Auckland Council has deemed it costly, riskier in terms of timeframes, and has questioned whether there is sufficient space or even if consents would be granted.

“We are testing [those assertions],” Parker told the Herald yesterday.

Landowner Panuku is lodging a resource consent application today for the council’s favoured Wynyard Basin option — involving a cluster of bases located on a 75m extension to Halsey Wharf, a 75m extension to Hobson Wharf, and on the existing Wynyard Wharf.

This follows the council’s vote last month to support the basin option over the point option. Team NZ also prefers the basin option, which carries a price tag of $124 million.

The cost estimate for the point option is $112m — but this includes a $100m cost related to moving the northern tank farm, which Parker says the Government is not proposing.

Parker said the point option will come down to Hasno (hazardous substances and new organisms) issues related to the southern tank farm.

“It may not work out but it’s certainly worth looking at because . . . it could well be a cheaper option by many millions of dollars”.

He said the Government’s work on the point option should be done before the end of the month, when the council will publicly notify the resource consent application.