Northcote Point wharf closure creates gap in Auckland's multimillion-dollar transport plans
Thursday, 19 July 2018
The closure of an Auckland ferry terminal is creating a missing link in the city's transport plans, including the multimillion-dollar SkyPath and SeaPath projects.
The Northcote Point wharf was closed indefinitely on June 20 when routine maintenance inspections found wooden structural pieces of the wharf had deteriorated.
However, local politicians are putting pressure on Auckland Transport to upgrade to an all-weather ferry terminal and reinstate the ferry service, or risk jeopardising other major transport plans.
North Shore ward councillors Chris Darby and Richard Hills wrote to AT chief executive Shane Ellison urging 'immediate reinvestment in the Northcote Point ferry terminal, ensuring the wharf is reopened with haste'.
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'Currently, this service is cancelled more frequently than any other in Auckland, despite being an activator for a number of other, critical services, for which demand will continue to grow.'
The councillors cited the example of SkyPath, a long-awaited walking and cycling link across the Waitematā Harbour annexed to the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which will be operational by 2022.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has committed $31 million to SkyPath and $67m to SeaPath, which links SkyPath's northern exit, via a 3km land-based walking and cycling route, to Takapuna.
Darby said the business case for SkyPath, specifically noted the ferry from Northcote Point to the Auckland CBD provided an option for people who wanted to make a scenic tour of the Viaduct, Westhaven, Northcote Point and the Waitematā Harbour.
'Without this service, there are limited options to alleviate SkyPath of the return trip loads, and the loop for scenic riders will remain incomplete,' Darby said.
Darby also said the $10m Northcote Safe Cycle Route, along Northcote Rd, Lake Rd and Queen St, which ended at the Northcote Point ferry terminal, was 'undermined' if there were no ferry service.
The existing Birkenhead ferry service was a combined route with the Northcote ferry service, and passed the Northcote terminal site regardless of whether the wharf was open or not.
'This two-service approach ensures cost efficiency and productive use of resources. Removal of the Northcote Point service eliminates these advantages and likely creates a direct increase in cost to ratepayers.'
The Kaipātiki Local Board, at meeting on July 18, proposed putting $2 million, from the local board transport capital fund, towards a Northcote Point wharf upgrade.
In her deputy chair's report Danielle Grant raised the issue of the importance of public transport in the area.
'With the significant congestion in our local board area, it is essential that all public transport options are promoted and maintained,' Grant said.
Auckland Transport's Marilyn Nicholls told the local board it was 'vehemently clear' that board members wanted the wharf looked into as a priority.
The Northcote Point Wharf was one of more than 100 projects put forward in the draft Regional Land Transport Plan that did not get funding in the 10-year budget.
Nicholls said the board's financial commitment showed AT how serious the board was about reinstating the wharf.
AT media advisor James Ireland said a detailed engineering report was currently being prepared, which would address the current state of the wharf and options for its future.
Following this report being written, the decision would be made on the best option for the future of the wharf, Ireland said.
Prior to the latest closure, AT numbers showed 80 people were using the ferry each day.
AT provided free buses from Northcote Point Wharf to Birkenhead from the time of the wharf closure until July 13, but had stopped the bus service citing low usage.