奥克兰Wynyard Quarter.docx

Wynyard QuarterSeen eastwards from an airplane in the 1950s, when it was known as Western Reclamation or Tank Farm.TheWynyard Quarter(historically also known as theWestern Reclamation,Wynyard Point,Wynyard WharforTank Farm) is areclaimedpiece of land on theWaitemata Harbourat the western edge of theAuckland waterfront,New Zealand.It is located to the north ofFreemans Bayand to the west of theViaduct Basin. As of 2012, a good part of the area is still covered by petrol and liquid chemical storage facilities ofPorts of Auckland Ltd(POAL) and various other companies, that gave the area its now slowly disappearing Tank Farm moniker. However, major changes are underway, with the area intended to be redeveloped into a mixed-use residential-commercial area, with a major park to run along the northern headland and up to the point. As one of the first changes, the eastern section of the Quarter, as well as one of the main west-east roads running across it, were revitalised with new office and entertainment/restaurant areas, with several major projects finishing in time for theRugby World Cup 2011tournament.HistoryeditBulk liquid storage remains one of the main uses in some areas.Marine industries suchfishingandshipbuildingare to remain, mainly concentrated along the west of the new quarter.Early useThe Western Reclamation was progressively constructed by theAuckland Harbour Board, of whichPorts of Aucklandis the successor. The last components of the reclamation (Wynyard Wharf) were being completed in 1930 and provided the growing harbour with additional berthage capacity and increased land for port activities. Initially used mainly by thetimbertrade, it gradually changed to the current bulk petro-chemical storage.1Current useAs of the late 2000s, the area was still used by the bulk liquid industry, with 500,000 tonnes of liquids and cement being transported via Wynyard Wharf each year. This provides NZ$1.2 billion of yearly turnover, and 4000 jobs in the Auckland economy. There are also more than 100 marine companies around the area, with a NZ$400 million yearly turnover, exporting items worth NZ$120 million per year. Three fishing fleets, Moana Pacific, Sanford and Simunovich, are based in the area.2SeaLink runs a car and passenger ferry service toGreat Barrier Islandfrom a terminal at the base of Wynyard Wharf. The company was seeking clarification of its future facilities in the area in 2007, as their lease was running out in 2010, and it was unlikely to invest a planned NZ$19 million in a new terminal or start using a new, faster ferry vessel before legal concerns were sorted out. An ARC planning committee noted that it supported the further provision of the ferry service in the area, though there had previously been concerns about the island freight shipping not fitting into the redevelopment vision of the area (see below).3The Waterfront Plan completed 2012 does include the island ferry terminal, to be in the same general area as before.citation neededShipping fuel storage, once an important facility at the Tank Farm, and delivered to ships in port by theTolemarefueling barge, was taken over in the late 2000s by a marine fuel tanker, theAwanuia, owned by the Seafuels company. The vessel serves Ports of Auckland shipping by bringing in fuels from theMarsden Pointrefinery inWhangarei.4Asand miningcompany,McCallum Brothers, used part of the western waters edge to unload barges of dredged sand (for construction projects) but has moved out of the area which was subsequently transformed into a public park / event space (Silo Park).RedevelopmenteditInitial planseditPorts of Auckland still owned 18ha of the 35ha site in 20065when it was decided that the land would be transferred to its parent company, Auckland Regional Holdings, owned by theAuckland Regional Council.6As was noted on the Tank Farm website in 2006:Changes in bulk liquid transportation, the advent of the pipeline from Marsden Point, and the progressive expiration of industrial leases in the reclamation means that Ports of Aucklands land is becoming a precinct in search of a new purpose.Following similar declarations by Auckland City and the Auckland Regional Council, political and design processes were underway in the mid and late 2000s to define the future shape of the area, a change process that will take up to 20 years. One of the main public inputs at that time was a wish for increased waterfront access, as well as the desire for more parkland on the point. However, some of these wishes were muted from political sources, as the redevelopment of the area is to be paid by the development of residential areas, with the available land for this use shrinking with an increase of the proposed park space. Already mostly agreed on was a bridge connecting the new quarter to theViaduct Basin.6Early plans intended to name the new area Kahurangi,Morifor blue/precious jewel. This has now been replaced with Wynyard Quarter, though it is still generally referred to as Tank Farm, including when talking about the whole Western Reclamation.7Others have suggested the label Tech-Farm, referencing a 2004 call to showcase on the waterfront New Zealands best sustainable design and technology,8as well as anticipating the governments and councils 2012 initiative to establish an innovation precinct within the Wynyard Quarter9Project scopeeditFirst stageIn June 2007, more detailed concept plans were published after a year of negotiation between stakeholders. In the first stage of the redevelopment, the eastern section of the Western Reclamation, along Jellicoe Street, was to be turned into an entertainment strip, to complement similar areas on the eastern side of the Viaduct Basin, and to be completed in time for the2011 Rugby World Cup. This area was to be linked to the Auckland CBD via a new Te Wero bridge, to be constructed as alift-orswing bridgeafter an international design competition, and expected to cost around NZ$35 million.1011As part of the area renewal, the Wind Tree sculpture that was located in Queen Elizabeth II Square outside ofBritomartfrom 1971 until 2002 was installed in the new Jellicoe Square.12The August 2011 opening of the Wynyard Quarter to the general public, with the main features being the new Jellicoe Street and North Wharf areas, as well as the open spaces around Silo Park (designed byTaylor Cullity LethleanandWraight and Associates) and the Viaduct Events Centre, were met with great public interest, and critical acclaim for the synthesis between open space and formerly industrial use.13The July 2007 concept plan for the area.Later stagesIn a next stage, a large point park of 4.25 ha is to be developed on Wynyard Point, with another park strip along the east side of Wynyard Wharf. This larger design followed wide public complaints in 2006 about the new development being dominated by apartments. The layout of the park is also to be decided via an international design competition, and would leave space for a so far unidentified landmark public building. The park would include about 2.4km of waterfront access, and would be linked withVictoria Parkvia a 40 m wide tree-linedboulevardand a NZ$5 million pedestrian bridge. This work would likely take place between 2014 and 2017, after commercial leases in the area run out.1011Other areas in the Western Reclamation will remain set aside for marine industry, with the main bulk of land being developed as apartments, with some associated smaller-scale retail and entertainment areas.14One matter of contention, as became visible during previous consultation, is the future building height of the residential areas. After 1016 storey buildings proposed in 2006 met strong opposition, the July 2007 design envisages only a small number of 14-storey towers, with the main apartment strips along the eastern side of Wynyard Wharf being no higher than seven storeys at the road, stepping down to three storeys at the waters edge.15The new Western Reclamation zone is to be dominated by public transport, with the targeted transport mix being 70% public transport / walking / cycling and 30% motor vehicle, a reversal of the typicalmodal sharein Auckland City. Ferries are also mooted as possible connections.11Cruise ship terminalWith new plans to open up theAuckland waterfrontfor more public access, the lack of sufficient cruise ship berthing space has entered the public discussion early 2008. This led to considerations that a new terminal could be built on the Western Reclamation. A major negative point for this usage would however be the short-term (from 2010 on) need for more cruise ship space, while the tank farm is unlikely to be redeveloped less than a decade in the future.16FundingeditThe public infrastructure costs of redeveloping the Western Reclamation were first estimated at around NZ$400 million in 2006, of which between 5 per cent and 10 per cent are expected to be spent on cleanup ofsoil contaminationdue to petrochemicals.5In 2007, this was updated to NZ$504 million (with the whole project, including the private investment, expected to cost more than NZ$2 billion). Most of the public infrastructure costs, NZ$349 million, are expected to be carried by development contributions, with NZ$112 million from Auckland Regional Holdings (Auckland Regional Council) and NZ$43 million fromAuckland City Council.1017ConstructioneditIn 2010, the first stages of work began in the Wynyard Quarter, among them the construction of a new-look, pedestrian-oriented boulevard Jellicoe Street, which is to be a new entertainment area, linked to theViaduct Harbourby a walking/cycling bridge (Wynyard Crossing). Also underway is the construction of a new length oftramtrack (see further section below). All the projects are to be completed in time for theRugby World Cup 2011, when the area is to be part of an extendedViaduct Basinvisitor zone on the waterfront.18TransporteditTram circuiteditA tram on the Wynyard Loop in Wynyard Quarter.As part of the concept to make the new quarter more interesting, as well as accessible, a newtramcircuit was constructed around the quarter, using two heritage trams on a 1.5km $8 million clockwise track. It is hoped that the tram line will later be extended, to serve transport as well as tourist functions for the quarter.18Such a link, initially to theBritomart Transport Centrewas originally intended to form part of the initial works, but the global financial crisis scuttled plans to make the newWynyard Crossingsubstantial enough to also serve trams, though the foundations for the interim bridge will be sufficient for a later bridge upgrade.18The tram circuit was proposed by theCampaign for Better Transportand theMOTATmuseum, and in Phase 1 includes a 1.5km loop track with 4 stops and separate sidings to house the trams. Commercial service started on 6 August 2011. Phase 2 will be the later extension to Britomart, with no timeframe set.19The 1920s trams are leased fromBendigo Tramway Museumin Australia, and are a W2 Class tram with 52 seats for weekends and holidays, and a 32 seat X1 Class tram for mid-week periods. However, the tram system will also be able to operate both trams at the same time.19Harbour CrossingeditEarlier feasibility studies saw the possible terminus of a newWaitemata Harbour Crossing(possibly as a tunnel) at Wynyard Point.20These have now been shelved byTransit New Zealand, with one remaining option being a longer tunnel to surface near Fanshawe Street or further south along Cook Street, possibly with an underground public transport station somewhere underneath the Tank Farm.11A less likely option has also been proposed byMike Lee, Auckland Regional Council chairman, who suggested a