America's Cup - New Halsey option drafted after a weekend of lobbying

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 20 Nov 2017 A new option for the America's Cup bases in Auckland was revealed on 3News tonight.

The plan appears to have been drafted by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and Panuku Developments.

There has been no comment on its suitability from Emirates Team New Zealand.

Two pressure groups Stop Stealing our Harbour and Urban Auckland appear to have been included in visits by the Coalition Government and Auckland Council members to the Viaduct and Halsey Street area over the weekend.

In an interview on 3News on Monday evening one of the groups claimed that the 'big wharf extension was off the table, now'.

In the same news item the new Economic Development Minister, David Parker got into some interesting territory with his comment 'the idea that you can put piers over the harbour and not put a dollar value against what you are losing ends up with some poor cost benefit analysis.'

Given that he was talking about an event that is set to generate a revenue windfall of up to $1billion for the government per Defence cycle plus a further $110million of measured publicity value, it seemed that the Minister was setting the Government up for an eye-watering Event Fee, if his logic was applied to the America's Cup event.

The revised plans show an extension to Halsey Wharf which reduces the length of the option preferred by Emirates Team New Zealand. It replaces the space with an extended area on Wynyard Point backing into an area densely populated with disused silo tanks, and extending out in the water between Halsey Street and Wynyard Point.

While the new plan may preserve views from Wynyard Point to the hotel and apartments in Princes Wharf, it would seem that navigation would be difficult through the narrow chicane at the entrance to the Wynyard Point bases.

The bases did not seem to be well protected from a northerly wind, while the preferred option had wider access and the boats were launched into an enclosed basin with its entrance protected by Princes Wharf.

The legacy use of the Wynyard Wharf base area was not clear, however what is lost through the new option is the creation of a protected marine watersports space measuring 450 metres by 170 metres which could be used for hosting a variety of events ranging from sprint sailing, to waka ama racing, kayak racing and ocean swimming.

The Governing Body of Auckland Council meets on Thursday to consider the options so that the consent application process can begin.