Open letter to Ports of Auckland
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Stop Stealing Our Harbour

C’mon Ports of Auckland, stop stealing our harbour!

So no-one would notice, you snuck through a resource consent just before Christmas to extend Bledisloe Wharf nearly 100m into the Waitemata Harbour. No public notification, no public consultation.

You plan to begin work on the extensions next month despite public outcry.

Apart from destroying views of the harbour from Queens Wharf – views we Aucklanders paid $40 million for – the Bledisloe extensions are the thin end of the reclamation wedge.

Once the extensions are in place, you will simply apply to fill in the gap so you can park thousands of cars and stacks of containers.

We are not against Ports of Auckland operating in the city but we are against you grabbing more space, narrowing an already congested Waitemata Harbour and blocking connections and views between the city centre and the harbour entrance – that belong to Aucklanders.

In 2013 Len Brown promised a study of the social, cultural, environmental and economic effects of Ports of Auckland’s place in the city before any further expansion. We are still waiting for that study. Doing the study will not cost the city any jobs or the Council any dividends. Until it’s done, you MUST stop all expansion work including the extension of Bledisloe Wharf.

The Waitemata Harbour is one of Auckland’s greatest assets, one we hold in trust for future generations. Through your actions it is now under further threat.

Aucklanders deserve better than this.

If you own something that floats – get out there today at 3.30pm to show you care.

Some Photos from the day