Great weather for a hastily organised protest that I only found out about because I was on the ferry with some protestors. Architects, Landscape Architects, Devonport Heritage, Local Board Members (from Devonport/Takapuna and Waitemata) and at least a couple of Auckland Councillors (Chris Darby and Wayne Walker).
Margot McCrae speaks out, while noted architect Julian Mitchell holds the megaphone.
Later, Cllr Darby addressed the crowd. Tip of the iceberg of public concern. Great to see this being organised by Auckland's urban design professionals.
This pic shows what the fight is over. Behind the protestors you can see the entrance to Waitemata Harbour - framed to the right by the end of Bledisloe Wharf reclamation - and to the left by North Head at Devonport. The draped banner shows the seaview that would be blocked by POAL's proposed B2 and B3 wharf expansions (each about 100 metres long and 30 metres wide), which POAL has indicated it would want to infill between in future.
Any POAL talk that "you can see under the B2 and B3 wharf structures" is disingenuous to say the least.
This was an excellent opportunity to gain some media attention before the Notice of Motion meeting tomorrow of the Auckland Development Committee of Auckland Council. This meeting will re-consider its recent "decision" to weaken its stance from "reclamation is non-complying" to "reclamation is discretionary".
The Notice of Motion ahs been signed by 9 councillors after hard work by Cllr Chris Darby. The NOM meeting is timed for 1:30pm tomorrow - Thursday - at the usual meeting venue old Auckland Council Building on Queens Street. There is confusion about whether public will be allowed to address that meeting - there is talk that it might be held "in confidential".
This is all legal dancing on the head of a pin stuff by Council officers. Sure the Unitary Plan needs to be sorted out, and property rights need to be protected and legal positions agreed behind closed doors. But this matter - the matter that POAL be permitted by its Auckland Council owner to act in its own interests and expand its reclaimed land holdings - that matter is a Local Government Act matter. Legitimate for you to consider that matter in public. And where is the second stage port study anyway?
In my view Council should be taking public soundings right now, as Mayor Blumsky did when public lost confidence there in Wellington Council's handling of waterfront issues, and call for a moratorium on all waterfront development. Pending engagement with the public and Auckland's design community over the whole waterfront redevelopment from Custom Street, Downtown, Quay Street, Light Rail, Buses, Queens Wharf, Captain Cook, Marsden, and Ports. And a funded and staged Masterplan. Instead of the present ad hoc arrangements.
Ask the people what they think.
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