Time to make history
This is Auckland’s chance to get it right.
Auckland Council is this afternoon scheduled to decide in principle where America’s Cup bases can be built on the city’s waterfront. The arguments for change are finely balanced. Too little and we risk losing the event elsewhere, including possibly Italy. Too much and we lose a precious part of our harbour. Team New Zealand wants to recapture the buzz of the 2000 event, which created the Viaduct Harbour. It is urging the council to extend Halsey Wharf as far out as Princes Wharf, so all the syndicates can be together. The council and the Government are worried about the $187 million price tag and further reclamation of the harbour, which Aucklanders have strongly opposed. Mayor Phil Goff has proposed a compromise solution, which would spread the bases between Halsey, Hobson and Wynyard wharves. America’s Cup Minister David Parker has gone further, suggesting a collection of vacant sites next to the storage tanks on Wynyard Wharf. That would save the harbour and preserve the waterfront for future development, but it is not popular with Team New Zealand. The stakes are high for everyone involved, which is why cool heads are important. But what must be front of mind is this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform part of Auckland’s waterfront for public good. Yes, any decision needs to work for the next America’s Cup regatta and the Apec conference of Asia-Pacific leaders to be held in Auckland in 2021. And yes, we want both events to be held in Auckland, and to be shining successes. However, it is the longer-term legacy that should be the main driver. Today’s decisions should be the catalyst to make the harbour edge an attractive, liveable place for Aucklanders and visitors for decades to come — or at least ensure that aim is achievable once the regatta is over. Auckland’s critics say we struggle with “the vision thing”. They are right. The city has taken decades to start work on an underground rail system, still wonders wistfully about a stadium in the CBD and is nowhere near unlocking the potential of its waterfront. But we have made improvements. The America’s Cup-inspired development of Viaduct Harbour paved the way for the regeneration of Wynyard Quarter, now buzzing with restaurants and new apartments. We can achieve similar gains today if Auckland Council, the Government and Team New Zealand are willing to work together on a long-term vision that benefits the city and the country.
So, to the powers that be, our message is simple.
Be bold, and get cracking.