Brian Rudman: Pay attention, councillors - the gallery goes on the Tank Farm

Naturally enough, Auckland Art Gallery director Chris Saines was quick to declare Auckland City would defend the gallery's $90 million extension plans in the Environment Court.

He's so committed to the project, you wouldn't expect any other reaction.

But is it too much to wish that the mayor or some of the senior councillors might see Coralie van Camp's appeal against the gallery's resource consent as not so much an obstacle but an opportunity to step back and consider the wider picture, including possible alternatives to the gallery's present siting?

The obvious alternative is a new gallery, built as the landmark crowd-puller, that just about everyone agrees is needed to crown the waterfront's Tank Farm rehabilitation.

Heart of the City chief executive Alex Swney floated the idea more than a year ago. Since then, the only opposition seems to have come from the promoters of the remodelling scheme, and from city councillors who nodded the project through.

It's as though they can't bring themselves to let go the bird in the hand, however sparrow-like it may be, for fear the white heron of the waterfront dreamers might never be realised.

I can sympathise a little, knowing how hard it is to get anything moving in Auckland. But what a depressing lack of vision, or worse, lack of confidence in being able to deliver on a vision, this attitude of our politicians betrays.

For at least two years everyone has talked of the need for a great public building on the Tank Farm peninsula, like the Sydney Opera House, or Te Papa.

What sort of building, no one is ever sure. And while the politicians exhaust themselves in their endless turf wars about ownership, planning models and development costs, such details of the grand plan are neither here nor there.

That's why there is still no agreed masterplan for waterfront redevelopment to match the vision they all bluster on about.

That's why Auckland City councillors can suddenly get together in secret with no briefing material worthy of being called research and rapidly declare themselves, without consulting the rest of us, in favour of a huge 60,000-seat waterfront stadium, slap bang alongside, and dwarfing, the historic ferry building.

This decision was not made in the context of redesigning the waterfront, or delivering on a grand vision. It was a piece of anarchic ad hockery, driven by the lust for fool's gold, rumoured to be hidden deep in the pockets of sports minister Trevor Mallard.

The decision by councillors to proceed with the art gallery extensions was not as precipitate and ill-researched as their decision in favour of the waterfront stadium, but it was in the same vein.

Both decisions ignored the bigger picture. In the stadium case, it pandered solely to the Government's desire for a waterfront locale. Both decisions ignored the big canvas opening up along the waterfront.

The art gallery renovation scheme is about compromise. To create more space, every possible space between and surrounding the charming 1887 French-style building will be glassed in. This will achieve a 50 per cent increase in display space, but no extra on-site storage. How long this compromise will last is debatable. That the last attempt at infill - the 1970s Edmiston Wing - has to be removed to make way for this refurbishment is a pointer to the renovation's expected lifespan.

Mrs van Camp objects to the damage to be inflicted on the historic existing building, on adjacent Albert Park, and on assorted trees.

It's a shame we can't drag the politicians before the Environment Court for lack of vision as well.

Only the voters can do anything like this, once every three years at the ballot box. But by the time the elections roll around in a year it could be too late for a waterfront gallery.

That's unless the politicians have a sudden flash of vision, and realise the advantages of building a gallery to match the world-beating site.

The existing leases run out in 10 years. With a little sweet talking, it's possible this target could be brought forward. This would give time for more fund-raising and an international design contest.

If Auckland city councillors emerged from their secret meetings once in a while and listened to the people, they'd get the message. Put the gallery on the Tank Farm.