Urban Auckland has taken the first legal steps to stop Ports of Auckland beginning construction on two massive wharf extensions next month.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown today walked out of a council meeting following a stoush with councillor Cathy Casey over port expansion.

Ports are the cutting edge of an economy, writes Mike Hosking. Yes, containers piled high look ugly, and they may well block the view of the apartment overlooking them, but they're money.

Mayor Len Brown has placed great emphasis on his hands being tied over the Ports of Auckland's expansion plans because of rules inherited from the old Auckland Regional Council.

Since the early days of European settlement, Auckland politicians have been dreaming up ways of dumping spoil in the harbour to create more land.

Ports of Auckland is planning an offensive this week to sell its expansion plans to Aucklanders, using the carrot of releasing Captain Cook Wharf for public use.

The majority of Auckland councillors now want a rethink on the controversial proposed expansion of the port.

The protest was sparked by port company plans to begin building two massive extensions and Auckland Council voting to ease rules for further reclamation.

About 2000 people and more than a hundred boats gathered today to protest plans by Ports of Auckland to reclaim more of Waitemata Harbour.

Auckland's Waitemata Harbour has been "turned from a harbour into a river", by Ports of Auckland expansion, yachting great Chris Dickson says.

Over the past month, Ports of Auckland has made announcements about its intention to extend wharf structures out from Bledisloe Wharf.

Prominent business leaders, sailors, architects, musicians have signed an open letter demanding that Ports of Auckland 'stop stealing our harbour'.

There is a certain irony that at a time Auckland is celebrating its founding as a port city 175 years ago, calls are growing to move the port elsewhere.

A protest group of concerned Aucklanders has joined the outcry against two large wharf extensions by Ports of Auckland, which eventually wants to reclaim 3ha of seabed between the wharves.

Ports of Auckland will start work in April on the first step to reclaim more of the Waitemata Harbour.

A debate on the future of the Waitemata Harbour and whether more of the seabed will be reclaimed for port use has started got off to an acrimonious start.

The Auckland Council seems to be constantly surprised by decisions of its subordinate bodies.

The Auckland Council has filed its changes to ease controls for further reclamation of Waitemata Harbour for port use.

Ports of Auckland said its first-half net profit rose by 9.5 per cent to $28.9 million in the six months to December, driven by higher freight volumes.

Auckland's Mayor is seeking an urgent explanation from Ports of Auckland after it announced plans yesterday to begin demolishing the end of Marsden Wharf next week.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is seeking an urgent explanation from Ports of Auckland after it announced plans today to begin demolishing Marsden Wharf next week.

The Maritime Union have settled their long-running industrial dispute with Ports of Auckland this morning.

Auckland boaties are rallying against council plans to weaken controls over further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour for port use.

Ports of Auckland has won a huge victory allowing it to use more of the Waitemata Harbour to park cars after Auckland councillors yesterday caved in on tough rules for reclamation.

Auckland Council has voted to delay a decision on a central wharf strategy that involves further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour.

The Auckland Council has approved two large wharf extensions into Waitemata Harbour for port use - without notifying the public or councillors.

Capacity constraints at the Port of Auckland feature high on the list of those eager to justify its expansion through further reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour.

Councillors will be asked to permit the port company to reclaim 2ha of harbour every 10 years into the future, writes Brian Rudman.