Port pressure group excluded

The protest group set up to halt wharf extensions is upset at being excluded from a study into the wider impact of the ports on the city.

Michael Goldwater, spokesman for Stop Stealing Our Harbour, said architect Barry Copeland, "who lit the fire of public awareness on this matter", had been excluded from the study.

Public pressure led the Auckland Council to proceed with a Port Future Study to examine the economic, social and environmental impacts of the port on the city.

The study has taken on an extra dimension since port opponents won a historic court victory in June, forcing Ports of Auckland to halt a $22 million contract to build two finger wharf extensions about 100m into the harbour at the end of Bledisloe Wharf.

The study is being headed by facilitator and strategist Dr Rick Boven, assisted by a consensus working group of stakeholders. Politicians are excluded from the study, which is due to report to the council by June next year.

Mr Goldwater said Mr Copeland, one of its members, had considerable skills to contribute to the study and his absence raised questions about the legitimacy of the study before it had started work. He said the selection process for the 16-strong working group was bizarre and involved 100 or so hopeful candidates sitting in groups around a table and writing their thoughts on paper.

"It was real kindergarten stuff," Mr Goldwater said.

He said a group associated with Stop Stealing Our Harbour had representation on the working group, "but it doesn't seem right that Barry Copeland is not there".

Dr Boven said the process to select the working group was not perfect and many people who felt they should have been on the group were not selected.