The Landing is closing down

[Ed 147]

From their facebook page...

"Hardstand Closure
It’s with great sadness that we need to make our users aware that following a directive from the Orakei Local Board, the hardstand will be closing for good as of the 28th of February 2023.
The decision has left us stunned, especially when all of the board members were made aware that Pier 21 is (and now has) closed for good. Leaving Auckland even more drastically short of hardstand spaces and availability.
The local board recently carried out a very limited “public consultation”, limited as it only consulted with members within the local Orakei area even though the site is primarily used by Aucklander's who do not live within the Orakei area. Additionally, one of the three options that they put forward / sought consultation on (Option 3) incorporates a new safe harbour and tree top boardwalks without explaining during consultation that neither the Local Board nor Council (even in the 10 year long term plan) have any funding to develop this option (estimated at 20 million plus). Additionally, half the “submitters” came from the Akarana Marine Sports Trust / Royal Akarana Yacht Club with 340 submitters supporting the hardstand and 469 opposed (i.e. selected option 3 as their preferred)
A link to the “consultation” can be found here: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/the-landing
As part of the consultation process, the Orakei Local Board were made aware of the following:
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei made a submission supporting the hardstand staying.
Hardstand Viability; it was formally confirmed that the Hardstand returned non-rates revenue prior to the Orakei Local Boards “involvement”.
Auckland’s requirement for hardstands; they received formal confirmation via a letter from the New Zealand Marina Operators Association and The New Zealand Marine Association confirming that Auckland requires more hardstands and that the closure of The Landing Hardstand would be extremely detrimental to Auckland’s marine industry.
Bio Security; they were made aware by Councils own Bio Security department (the same department that is spending millions of rate payers money annually trying to minimise bio security issues in the greater Auckland area) that hardstands in general are a key tool in managing bio security issues and that the hardstand at The Landing provides such services. 
Reduction in hardstands in the greater Auckland area; they were made aware that in the last six months two hardstands in the greater Auckland area had closed, and two further were likely to close. Coincidentally, Pier 21 (the yard that hauls the largest volume of vessels in the Auckland area), announced its closure only three days after the board meeting that effectively closed The Landing Hardstand.
Additional cost to rate payers; they were made aware that the Hardstand business effectively covered off all day to day running costs of The Landing (approximately 250K per annum) and that if the Hardstand were to close these costs would have to be met by ratepayers.
All this information and they still opted to close the hardstand in favour of a new $20-million-dollar park that there is no funding allocated to…. and not likely to be for many years.
Doesn’t sound right, does it?  We don’t think so either.
How you can help:
•Register via Office@thelanding.org.nz to join our database of hardstand supporters.
•Email / write to the Mayor and your local Councillors and MP’s outlining your concerns.
•Let the local board members that voted for the hardstand’s closures know your thoughts and remember its local body elections time.
There is already a group of both hardstand and The Landing users who have united and are currently putting together a legal challenge, we are fortunate to have several people who have underwritten these costs but going forward we may look for additional financial contributors. We will keep you up to date with the status of the legal challenge via email (you will obviously need to register to receive this).
Local Board members that voted in favour of closing the hardstand*:
•Scott Milne: scott.milne@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz  / 021 876 326
•Sarah Powrie: sarah.powrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 021 142 2913
•Margaret Voyce: margaret.voyce@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 029 880 9900 
•Troy Elliott: troy.elliott@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz / 021 658 769
*details found on the Auckland Council website
Local Board Members who supported the hardstand:
•Troy Churton
•Colin Davis
** David Wong abstained from the vote **
Other useful contact details included:
•Councillor Desley Simpson: desley.simpson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz  / 021 971 786
•Auckland Council Councillors: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/.../ward-councillors...
•Mayor Goff: phil.goff@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz"

[ex Elly 229]

Bugger! 

 

[waikiore 454]

When it was given to the council and then they leased it to a private operator the writing was on the wall. Back in the day with Trevor running it with volunteers helping and operated by the Harbour board it was always full -right over to the seawall where the Marina is now. Three times as many hauled with no travelift and a cheeky welcome from the staff, the average man could work on his or her own vessel, that is not part of the new Auckland unless you go to Panmure the Gold hole or the Wade and Clevedon.

Interesting to reflect that you could happily haul (on the beach) at St Heliers and Mission Bay prior to Okahu Hardstand being created from the dredgings of Okahu Bay.

Originally in the Harbour Boards plans as Easthaven!!

[Romany 162]

Make no mistake people, unless this madness is stopped we are fucked.

This practice of demanding vessels are maintained 'pest' free and then shutting down facilities that enable that to happen strikes at all levels of the boating fraternity. After all - if you have a 15k keel boat or a multi million dollar stinkpot - if you have nowhere to haul and antifoul/maintain what would be the point of retaining it. 

I'm ready to become a landlubber.

 

[aardvarkash10 1,072]

I'm required to maintain my car with a Warrant of Fitness to ensure its "safe" and "roadworthy".  I could do it myself if the council provided suitable workshop facilities, but there is literally nowhere for me to do this!

Its appalling.

I'll probably have to sell the car.

[southernman 73]

It's going to happen everywhere in NZ. I'm surprised that Yachting NZ and the Marine Industry Association are not getting involved.  Both take fees but seem to do very little for the average punter.  

[Jono G 43]

Obviously Ilex doesn't get hauled at the landing - with reference to one of the Board members who voted to close.

[Young Entertainer 61]

1 hour ago, aardvarkash10 said:

I'm required to maintain my car with a Warrant of Fitness to ensure its "safe" and "roadworthy".  I could do it myself if the council provided suitable workshop facilities, but there is literally nowhere for me to do this!

Its appalling.

I'll probably have to sell the car.

not quite the same, they expect you to get a WOF, but then make so that there is only allowed to be 1 garage per 500km of road,  bad luck if you live in AK and all WoFs will now be done in Tauranga. That would be a more reasonable comparison on the basis that from Westhaven it would be 2hrs to the closest haulout yard other than floating dock soon?

Given Pine Harbour have reduced there hardstand space (and increased the prices accordingly)in recent years and there seems to be a lot less space at HMB now with the extensions where are people planning on doing the maintenance?  yes you can go to one of the smaller yards mainly run by yacht clubs but of these are volunteer run and dont necessarily want more business, Late last year i tried to used Panmure rather than Pine harbour as pine harbor had a month waiting list,  After filing in the paperwork for Panmure i was told i would get a call in 3-6months when a spot was available.  Cant see that getting any better with these recent closures

[Shimmer 43]

Come on up to Westpark it’s an hour up the harbour from westhaven and things are a lot more organised out here than a few years ago 

[Young Entertainer 61]

so it is more like you must get a WOF but the closet garage to AK will be in Hamilton.

Westpark, Baywater, Pine harbour all owned by the same guy who must be rubbing his hands together now with the thought of the revenue coming his way.

Having recently sold the boat and for the first time in 30 years not owing a boat that requires a marina or haulout I think i timed that about right,  now to find a boat to race on where someone else pays all the bills....

[Black Panther 1,716]

1 hour ago, Shimmer said:

Come on up to Westpark it’s an hour up the harbour from westhaven and things are a lot more organised out here than a few years ago 

What's the limiting depth?

[Shimmer 43]

I just make it in on a spring low drawing 1.75 but mid tide and above its all good even for deep draft vessels. Had Zepherus out on the hard recently. The channel is pretty well marked with twin piles every couple of hundred meters and the navionics chart of the channel is good. Yeah Simon Herbert is pretty greedy it’s true but it’s now the last independent yard in the Waitemata apart from the club yards. The travel lift team are also really good.

[Black Panther 1,716]

I'm 2.8m

[Shimmer 43]

So you would want to come up on the top half of incoming tide but then shouldn’t have any problems 

[harrytom 681]

Wonder if THE LANDING will get a reprieve with the new Mayor?? AT chairperson just resigned

[Psyche 755]

The reason things happen is the people either dont know, dont act or think they dont matter. Pressure groups or people with agendas know this:

Get writing!

 

[Psyche 755]

The Landing Concept Plan Refresh

 

Dear Submitter,

For your information, the attached revised draft concept plan for The Landing will be tabled at Ōrākei Local Board’s business meeting on Thursday 21 November for a formal decision. The accompanying report can be viewed in the board’s business meeting agenda at https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/.

In response to the board’s last resolution (link here) on this project made in November 2023, the attached draft concept plan has been changed to accommodate space for a haul out and hardstand service. This is in anticipation of a service being run from May to December each year over approximately 50% of the historic hardstand area.   

The November 2023 resolution also instructed staff to undertake an expressions of interest (EOI) process to secure a provider capable of operating a small flexible short-stay haul-out and hardstand service. This process has now been completed and while an agreement with a provider was not secured, discussions have continued with interested parties.

Acknowledging the challenges of running such a service at this park site over an eight-month period each year, the local board have moved away from a requirement for a service provider to generate a significant commercial return, to one based on a not-for-profit cost recovery model.

The local board is also implementing a new parking regime at The Landing and as part of this will consider a parking lay-out that will maximise safety and efficiency for all users.

 

 

We thank you for your interest and input on this project.

For any general enquiries regarding the concept plan refresh please contact David Barker from Auckland Council’s Parks and Community Facilities Department at:  thelanding@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

 

 

[Terry B 73]

Not a bad result I suppose. They must have taken note of the many of us who turned up at meetings

 

[motorb 35]

Maybe this should be posted in the stickied okahu bay thread 

[El Toro 110]

STF arent bidding to take the lease, noone will take a lease for 6 months of the year and the need to remove your gear etc.

Its all window dressing