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The Viaduct Events Centre, under
construction on the Auckland waterf ront, is
being put f orward as an alternative 'party
central'. Photo / Supplied
Part central focus shifts to Viaduct
8y 8ernard Orsman
4:00 A Frida Jul 9, 2010
The $32 mIIIIon VIaduct Events Centre under constructIon on the
AuckIand waterIront Is beIng put Iorward as an aIternatIve "party
centraI" Ior the Rugby WorId Cup.
t Is understood AuckIand CIty Mayor ]ohn 8anks wIII suggest the
VIaduct Events Centre In taIks next week wIth PrIme MInIster ]ohn
Key and Rugby WorId Cup MInIster Murray McCuIIy.
Mr Key saId yesterday he was open to IookIng Ior another sIte In
AuckIand aIter a poIItIcaI Impasse between the Covernment and
the AuckIand RegIonaI CouncII over redeveIopment pIans Ior
Queens WharI.
The pIannIng and poIItIcaI deIays over Queens WharI took another
turn on Wednesday when ARC councIIIors unanImousIy agreed to preserve the Iarger oI the two cargo
sheds on the wharI at a cost oI $17.8 mIIIIon.
ThIs was dIIIerent Irom an agreement between the ARC and the Covernment In AprII to remove both
sheds and buIId a $9.6 mIIIIon temporary structure Ior party centraI and a cruIse shIp termInaI, named
the "cIoud" by Mr McCuIIy and the "sIug" by others.
SInce AprII, the ARC and the HIstorIc PIaces Trust have reached a provIsIonaI agreement to convert Shed
10 Into a permanent cruIse shIp termInaI and party centraI, aIongsIde the temporary structure.
Mr Key saId he was not angry but Irustrated that the Covernment and the ARC had paId $20 mIIIIon each
to buy the wharI wIth a cruIse shIp termInaI and party centraI In mInd. He stIII hoped the wharI wouId be
used as a cruIse shIp termInaI.
"That saId, we've never been a great supporter oI keepIng those sheds. t wouId be a substantIaI cost
and we actuaIIy don't thInk they have any great partIcuIar beauty," he saId.
Mr Key saId the Covernment wouId Iook at possIbIe aIternatIves Ior a party centraI base, "but don't
thInk In aII good conscIence can put up an enormous amount oI eIther ratepayer or taxpayer doIIars
Ior somethIng that doesn't reaIIy seem to have a Iong-term strategIc pIan".
A bIg pIus Ior the VIaduct Events Centre Is that It Is a permanent structure the same sIze as the "sIug" at
6000sq m, whIch Is beIng Iunded by the AuckIand CIty CouncII. ThIs wouId save taxpayers $9.6 mIIIIon
- the prIce the Covernment has agreed to pay Ior the temporary "sIug" on Queens WharI.
ConstructIon oI the events centre at HaIsey St began In AprII and Is due Ior compIetIon In ]uIy next year,
two months beIore the cup. Work aIso has consent or Is under way on severaI other projects near the
events centre as part oI the IIrst stage oI works at the Tank Farm, aII oI whIch are due to be compIeted
Ior the cup.
The Team New ZeaIand base wIII be demoIIshed Ior a 3482sq m "gateway pIaza" aIongsIde the events
centre and at the entrance to the Tank Farm across a new brIdge Irom the VIaduct Harbour.
]eIIIcoe St Is beIng transIormed Into a tree-IIned bouIevard and IInked to a new North WharI promenade
wIth casuaI aI Iresco dInIng. At the end oI ]eIIIcoe St wIII be SIIo Park, a waterIront park wIth 5200sq m
oI open space. The cup organIsers couId aIso use the AIInghI base In HaIsey St.
]ohn DaIzeII, chIeI executIve oI Sea + CIty, the pubIIc body overseeIng the Iunded works at the Tank
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Farm, saId doIng somethIng compIementary to party centraI at the Tank Farm had aIways been
contempIated. t was too earIy to contempIate the scaIe oI beIng an aIternatIve party centraI, he saId.
"We have got a number oI exIstIng IndustrIes we have to manage, the marIne, IIshIng and buIk IIquId
IndustrIes," Mr DaIzeII saId.
Mr 8anks, who has prevIousIy IIoated the Idea oI the events centre]Tank Farm]VIaduct Harbour Ior
party centraI, Is not commentIng on aIternatIve venues beIore taIks wIth Mr Key and Mr McCuIIy.
AIthough Queens WharI Is sIIppIng out oI the pIcture, the ARC Is stIII workIng wIth the Covernment on
optIons to convert Shed 10 aIongsIde the temporary structure and hopes to have a resoIutIon next
week.
8y 8ernard Orsman
Copyri ght 2012, APN Hol di ngs NZ Li mi ted