Bold plans to extend Auckland's port 250m into the Waitemata Harbour are going through the Auckland Council for formal approval without a full public debate.
Ports of Auckland is asking councillors to "lock in place" a coastal zone allowing it to expand its waterfront operations from 77ha to 95ha by 2055.
The company says it simply wants the current coastal port zone that allows space for growth to be maintained in the Auckland Plan - a 30-year blueprint for the Super City.
Today, the Heart of the City lobby group will launch a campaign urging people to find out more about the port expansion plan before it is approved by the council in March and becomes difficult to overturn.
"They're shrinking our harbour," the group claims.
It has released digital illustrations showing how views of the Waitemata would be blocked by new wharves. The port company describes the images as "unprofessional and unbalanced".
Heart of the City chief Alex Swney said the plans were buried in technical documents supporting the draft waterfront plan, which is part of the wider Auckland Plan. They showed how the port wanted to extend its container space into the harbour to handle a 400% increase in traffic, in exchange for offering to sell Aucklanders Captain Cook Wharf east of Queens Wharf, he said.
"We're not opposed to the port increasing its business, but we are opposed to the plans currently proposed. To make matters more complicated, the Auckland Council owns the port company and is also the governing body that must approve the port's plans," Mr Swney said.
Last night, Mayor Len Brown said a working port was critical to the health of Auckland's economy and must be able to grow within its current zone to cope with projected growth.
The company has taken a hard line with its critics, accusing them of playing "Russian roulette" with the Auckland economy and consigning the region to a certain and looming national infrastructure shortfall.
Council body Waterfront Auckland says matters of significant regional importance, such as the port's future requirements, were likely to be addressed in the final Auckland Plan.
Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson has said the company, which handles nearly a third of the country's trade by value, needs the port to grow to meet the ambitious economic growth goals in the Auckland Plan.
- Brendan Orsman
