Port or playground? Reality check coming for Auckland's waterfront

[Your Auckland header] Hi, Who wouldn’t want a harbour-edge park - maybe a beach and playgrounds - where [Auckland’s port]( sits? It’s certainly a vision the mayor Wayne Brown made much of on his election campaign, promising to extract far more cash from the port company, ahead of its phased departure. The snag is: where does the job done by the country’s biggest import port go, and who pays for the billions of dollars of infrastructure, even if it were possible? A reality check is coming, as councillors have begun to weigh up external reports[commissioned by the mayor]( - including on what a contraction of the port’s footprint might mean. There are contradictions to be wrestled with. Brown was initially, but is no longer, calling for the vehicle import trade to be gone by a fixed date. That is viewed as one of the most profitable parts of the council-owned port company’s business, so its loss would make a hole in the higher revenue the mayor is demanding. Another piece of work looks at what interest there is, among commercial port operators, in taking over the running of the Auckland business - albeit without owning the land it sits on. That is not an option Brown has favoured, as contracting out to a commercial operator would mean cementing the continuation of the port, potentially longer than he fancies, into the future. That no details have leaked from the first consideration of this work, and that the mayor has so far declined to give any pointers to where it might be heading, are telling. The issues are complex, not only when and how the port might shrink and move, but whether it can and should. Around the council table there are [varying and strongly held views]( on the port and its role in the city, and how the discussion advances will be as much about the vision, as the ability to muster a political consensus. [Todd Niall] Todd Niall Senior Reporter [Todd Niall] Todd Niall Senior Reporter   [See more Auckland news →]( [timer][trk_px] [timer][trk_px] High Court won't stop mature trees being cut down on Auckland maunga A local opponent of the removal of mature trees from Ōtāhuhu Mt Richmond should have acted sooner, the High Court in Auckland found when it declined Shirley Waru’s request to stop tree felling this week. Last week, [work continued to remove trees from Ōtāhuhu Mt Richmond]( as the High Court heard Waru’s request for a court-ordered halt to the felling. The issue of [exotic trees on the 14 tūpuna maunga (ancestral mountains)]( administered by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority has been contentious for Aucklanders. Justice Gerard van Bohemen issued his written judgment on Friday morning. [Read more →](   Enjoying this email? [Check out Stuff's other daily and weekly newsletters.]( [timer][trk_px] More Auckland stories you might have missed   Hammer-wielding thieves leave two shop workers injured during 4am robbery [Read more →]( Scooter rider rushed to hospital, New North Rd blocked after rush-hour accident [Read more →]( Wind, rain, hail and snow expected in parts of the country this week [Read more →]( Dream home leads to years of litigation and demise of 'beautiful bungalow' [Read more →](   We want the best for Aotearoa's biggest city, but we need your help to keep reporting on local issues. Support our newsroom by making a contribution. [I'd like to contribute →]( [Discover more Auckland news at Stuff]( You are receiving this email because you are opted in to receive the Your Auckland newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( [Manage your profile]( [Privacy Policy]( Did a friend forward you this email? [Sign up to get the Your Auckland newsletter in your inbox.]( Stuff, 4 Williamson Ave, Ponsonby, Auckland 1021, New Zealand [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [TikTok](