Gladwell's Line- Council gives Port the OK to get half-pregnant

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 2 May 2015 From the Editorial of Sail-World.com’s New Zealand e-magazine for May 2, 2015

Welcome to Sail-World.com’s New Zealand e-magazine for May 2, 2015

Auckland Council may call their decision a compromise to allow Ports of Auckland to build one wharf instead of two.

But one wharf poking a further 100 metres out into the Waitemata harbour is still a 100 metres of water space gone.

If they are going to opt for one wharf they may as well have two - it makes no difference.

If you believe the Mayor, the Council seem to think that they can please everyone by getting the port company half pregnant.

The whole waterfront management, or rather mis-management, is a complete wrought.

The Port Company is owned by the ratepayers of Auckland, and one of the responsibilities of the Council, elected by the ratepayers is to manage the Port Company. To many, it seems that the Port company manages the Council in waterfront issues.

The managers, the Council, have allowed the port company to lawyer-up, work out what they think they can get away with, and then start lobbying Council members to achieve their objectives. The only thing they forgot in their arrogance was the public relations aspect, but once the depth of public concern and dismay on the issue became clear, the port company’s spin doctors woke up and launched a charm offensive. It fooled no-one.

A month ago the same Council voted unanimously to ask Ports of Auckland to hold off on extending the wharves until a full study had been completed into the future options for the Port. Maybe, just maybe, the public's use and enjoyment of their waterfront might have been considered in that enquiry.

Now the decision to get half-pregnant has been pushed through on the casting vote of the Mayor.

Oh, and they will pull the wharf out - if the study says it is not needed,

Even the Deputy Mayor admitted the Council the compromise was like being forced to swallow a dead rat.

The study will take a year to complete – why is it so imperative that the work starts immediately? Sure some ship visits may be lost to Auckland – but they can go to other ports – and won’t be lost to New Zealand. But in 25 – 50 – 100 years time who is going to give a rat’s backside about 6-10 lost ship visits to Auckland in 2016-17?

But the generations to come will rue the loss of harbour and water space, and the increased tidal flows with the accompanying environmental and recreational damage – which cannot be retrieved.

Public protest seems to be the only thing this Council does understand – except they have very short memories. Their electorate does not suffer from the same malaise, and will have the opportunity to apply a more permanent fix next year.

At that point we may be able to save the harbour, and get back some of the Auckland waterfront.

The vote was split 8-8 with the Mayor using his vote to force the tie, and then gained a second vote to break it. The usual practice with the deciding vote is to vote for the status quo. On this basis the Port of Auckland extension work would have stopped until such time as the majority would be in favour.


How they voted
For compromise:

Mayor Len Brown
Arthur Anae
Bill Cashmore
Linda Cooper
Penny Hulse
Alf Filipaina
Calum Penrose
Sharon Stewart

Against compromise:
Cameron Brewer
Cathy Casey
Ross Clow
Chris Darby
Christine Fletcher
Mike Lee
John Watson
George Wood

Absent:
Denise Krum
Dick Quax
Sir John Walker
Wayne Walker
Penny Webster

Follow all the racing and developments in major and local events on www.sail-world.com, scroll to the bottom of the site, select New Zealand, and get all the latest news and updates from the sailing world.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

sailworldnzl@gmail.com

To subscribe to Sail-World.com's NZ e-magazine, published two or three times weekly goto www.news.sail-world.com and click on Newsletter and Subscribe. You can see previous newsletters by clicking on Newsletter and then Archive from the drop-down menu.

If you want to contact Richard Gladwell directly email: sailworldnzl@gmail.com or call (+6421) 301030

Don't forget to check our website www.sail-world.com, scroll to the bottom of the site, select New Zealand, and get all the latest news and updates from the sailing world.