Phil Goff calls for residents, Team NZ to compromise on America's Cup

America's Cup Village proposal hybrid plan. Picture / Supplied

Auckland mayor Phil Goff is calling for compromise between the residents of Wynyard Basin and Team New Zealand as a new proposal for the America's Cup has been revealed.

The Government and Auckland Council have agreed on a proposal for the base of the America's Cup that would be less of an intrusion on Auckland's harbour than previous plans.

The proposal would see seven bases around two basins in the Wynyard Wharf area.

The new plan reduced the original proposed extension to Halsey Wharf from 75m to 35m.

The plan includes restaurants and bars, public viewing and hospitality areas. It incorporates elements of the Wynyard Basin option, agreed by the council in December and publicly notified in January, and the Wynyard Pt variant explored by the Government.

Team NZ still back the 75m extension and their chief executive, Grant Dalton, said he was "surprised" by the joint Government-council announcement, saying the sailing syndicate has been working through options but has not yet finished talks that meet all parties' objectives.

Goff said the change should not have come as a surprise to Team NZ because he had met with key team members, including Dalton, last Friday, he told Newstalk ZB on Wednesday.

"It won't be really a surprise to Grant as we met with him last Friday we had quite a long time working through all the details of what this proposal would involve."

The new proposal was made possible when Dutch company Stolthaven Terminals agreed to vacate its southern tank farm site on Wynyard Pt early, which Goff said was negotiated for a "reasonable" price.

That would free up the land for a proposal using the Wynyard extension as well as the Halsey and Hobson Wharfs.

"I said to Grant and to the others, we are determined to give you what you need, but we can't give you everything that you want."

One of the problems with the original proposal was there was a public opposition about the intrusion into the Waitemata Harbour.

Team New Zealand chief executive Grant Dalton said he was "surprised" by the Government and Auckland Council's proposal for the America's Cup base on the Auckland waterfront. Photo / Chris Cam

Businesses and residents in Wynyard Basin said they were concerned America's Cup team sheds that would be erected would block "their vision of the harbour".

"They do have a genuine objection to it."

The council was trying to get a resource consent past with the minimum amount of opposition.

"That always involves compromise."

Goff asked the residents, businesses and Team NZ to compromise, which he said gave them "everything they need".

"It's not a done deal until everyone agrees."

Team NZ were "patriotic New Zealanders" that drove a hard bargain but time was not on anyone's side.

"Part of the price of holding the Cup is that taxpayers and ratepayers are going to have meet the cost of some of that infrastructure.

"No Aucklander's going to object that a carpark and a former hazardous substances tank site is going to be used for the base."