Brian Rudman: Pass-the-problem isn't an answer

Illustration / Peter Bromhead

City’s planning gurus ignore the Queens Wharf art poser and take refuge in fantasy on what to do with buses

But what about the $1.5 million state house, with its crystal chandelier? Back from a two-week break, I was keen to see what the Auckland Council's new Downtown Framework had to say about the controversial artwork and its proposed siting at the tip of Queens Wharf.

The answer is nothing. The framework gurus have chickened out, deciding this was one hot potato too many to try to juggle.

It was, perhaps, what they were referring to when they wrote "the document does not seek to answer all challenges". It was a living document that "will continue to evolve".

The Downtown Framework committee was set up in an attempt to integrate the visions and wishlists dreamed up by the various factions of the "council family".

The "state house" would seem an obvious contender for that list, foisted as it was on to the people's wharf by the fine arts lobby with no apparent consultation with anyone but the mayor's office.

But the four possible scenarios canvassed for the wharf are totally silent on this issue. Mind you, looking at the proposals, it might be wise for artist Michael Parekowhai to play it safe and add a set of wheels to his light-house, just in case.

One of the scenarios involves extending the wharf into the harbour to accommodate larger cruise ships, which, if it happened, would leave his artwork rather further back from the water than planned.

The biggest challenge facing anyone redesigning Auckland's downtown-harbour edge interface is improving the people flow down the Queen St valley to the waterfront, while accommodating the need for a downtown bus interchange within easy reach of the Britomart train station and the ferry terminals.

The authors of the document claim they've nailed it, by moving the existing bus terminus in Lower Queen St , creating a new bus "interchange" divided between Lower Albert St and the three streets to the side and back of the Britomart station - Commerce, Galway and Tyler.

There's purple prose about an "enhanced bus interchange customer zone and waiting facilities and associated development opportunities at rear of Britomart Station", but that's pure wishful thinking.

The rear of the train station already seems busy in its role as a customer pick-up and arrival zone for train passengers, and with electrification, we're told there'll be large growth in numbers.

As for the three streets named, Tyler in particular is a narrow, noisy, fume-catching canyon. At lunchtime on Wednesday there were only two buses parked with engines running. It must be hell in the evening rush hours. What will it be like in its new expanded role, especially in 10 or 20 years?

The plan is to create a bus depot for North Shore and Western buses at the foot of Lower Albert St, and a similar facility around the Britomart Station for buses heading south and east. They will be linked by a proposed new east-west walkway through the redeveloped Downtown Shopping Centre.

The document has an idyllic illustration of promenading pedestrians walking past cheerily flowering pohutukawas lining the transformed Lower Queen St pedestrian square. The only sight of a bus is the rear end of one disappearing into Galway St.

That it is fantasy is easy to spot. Despite the bright red blossoms, the pedestrians are draped in winter coats and scarves. And the small print admits buses will still have to enter or exit Lower Queen St from Customs St and Quay St to access the new Britomart bus station side roads.

It's true the dream-makers had a bad hand to play. The demolition of the Britomart Place Bus Station in 2001 to make way for the new underground train station was short-sighted.

The bus station was built in 1937 on the site of the original central rail station. The new Britomart transport interchange was to include an underground bus station below the train station, but the replacement bus station was abandoned for reasons of costs and after protests from the bus companies about the delays involved in getting in and out.

The solution was to give in and scatter the buses through the adjacent streets. This despite the fact that then, now and into the future, buses carry the vast bulk of public transport passengers.

Unfortunately, trying to hide this problem behind Britomart and at the foot of Lower Albert St is not going to solve it. It's just passing it on another generation.