Bold plan offers extra terminal space for more cruise ship visits

Architect Gordon Moller has suggested extending Captain Cook Wharf, east of Queens Wharf on the Auckland waterfront. Photo / Supplied

A plan for an overseas passenger terminal on Captain Cook Wharf is being proposed as new figures suggest Queens Wharf will be stretched to accommodate the booming cruise ship business.

Architect Gordon Moller has suggested extending Captain Cook Wharf, east of Queens Wharf on the Auckland waterfront, and building a double-sided overseas passenger terminal to allow two ships to berth simultaneously.

His comments coincide with better-than-expected bookings for cruise ships and a message to Auckland to expect larger ships.

Cruise New Zealand chief executive Craig Harris said about 68 cruise ships were expected to visit Auckland this season, 90 next year and more than 100 bookings had already been confirmed for 2012.

Mr Harris said he had returned from the United States, where cruise lines said Auckland should expect larger ships of 320m to 330m carrying 3000 to 3500 passengers within five to seven years.

There were physical challenges coming up, he said, such as Queens Wharf being able to take ships of up to only 300m. One solution was to put a bollard out from Queens Wharf to accommodate the larger ships.

Mr Moller, who has worked on plans for the waterfront and designed the Sky Tower, said the west side of Queens Wharf was earmarked for expanded ferry services, leaving one berth for cruise ships on the eastern side.

One berth was the brief for the flawed Queens Wharf design competition, he said.

"That means you can't put a second ship on Queens Wharf, so you are one berth short.

"My simple logic is you extend Captain Cook out to equal the length of Queens Wharf, you put a new terminal down the centre of the wharf with link bridges, extend the ferry terminal on the west side of Queens Wharf and you have public open space [on the remainder of Queens Wharf]."

Mr Moller said Marsden Wharf should be used for small vessels, such as tugboats; Bledisloe Wharf kept for port use and Quay St turned into a public promenade.

"Take the red fence [along Quay St] down and the whole thing begins to sing."

Mr Moller's comments coincide with plans by the Government and the agency designing the Super City to hand planning of the waterfront, including a new masterplan, to the unelected directors of a waterfront development agency.

The public will have limited input through the planning process and be locked out of other deliberations.

The Auckland City Council supports the establishment of the waterfront development agency to manage development, but believes that planning should be left to the new Auckland Council.

The council also wants Captain Cook and Marsden wharves and the connection to Bledisloe Wharf placed under the agency to ensure that a new masterplan for the waterfront takes a long-term perspective.

The two wharves are owned by Ports of Auckland.

The agency will own and manage the waterfront - excluding Ports of Auckland land - from Teal Park in the east to the Auckland Harbour Bridge Park in the west, including Queens Wharf, the Viaduct Harbour, 18.5ha of publicly-owned land at the Tank Farm and Westhaven Marina.

Meanwhile, plans to spruce up Queens Wharf as "party central" for the Rugby World Cup are still several weeks away.