Auckland’s waterfront now open

The opening day of Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter drew crowds of over 50,000

A key area of Auckland’s waterfront has re-opened in spectacular fashion, with crowds in excess of 50,000 turning out on a cold and cloudy day.

Waterfront Auckland marked the opening of the first stage of the 25-year Wynyard Quarter revitalisation on Saturday 6 August with a dawn ceremony and a full day of free public entertainment and activities.

Wynyard Quarter is the 36 ha area of reclaimed land stretching from the eastern side of Viaduct Harbour to the Western Wall facing Westhaven Marina. A council controlled organisation of Auckland Council, Waterfront Auckland has redeveloped 18.5 ha of formerly industrial land into a mixed-use urban environment which accommodates the fishing and marine industries alongside residential, entertainment and community facilities.

The stage one transformation includes new, vibrant public spaces, buildings and amenities. Seven projects have been completed at a total cost of $90 million:

• Wynyard Crossing – an opening bridge providing pedestrian and cycling access from the Viaduct Harbour into Wynyard Quarter
• Gateway Plaza (renamed Karanga) – a 4855 sq m public plaza incorporating an information kiosk made of shipping containers and tidal steps to the water’s edge
• Viaduct Events Centre – a new 3134 sq m events facility on the Halsey Street extension wharf
• Jellicoe Street – a 440 m tree-lined, bluestone-paved public boulevard incorporating a tram-line, public seating, lighting, raingardens and sculpture
• North Wharf – nine new restaurants and bars at the water’s edge
• Silo Park – a grassed public space bordered by a 12 m high, 110 m long, steel gantry, celebrating the area’s industrial heritage, and incorporating the Golden Bay Cement Silo 7 and sixpack with excellent views over the area
• Auckland Tramway – a new 1.5 km tramway loop carrying two historic trams painted in the original car - nation red livery.

John Dalzell, chief executive of Waterfront Auckland, says that while the first stage of the Wynyard Quarter is now open in time for Rugby World Cup visitors, the opening date was not determined by the sporting event. “This is more of a legacy project for the whole of Auckland and Aucklanders. The Wynyard Quarter is prime waterfront land that in the past has been used predominantly for port and storage purposes. I think visitors to the area will be astounded at the new public spaces, amenities and places available to them that sit right by the water’s edge.”

Mr Dalzell laid tribute to the construction companies and workers involved with the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter. “Their effort has been unprecedented,” he says. “One might say a World Cup winning performance! The areas on show are the result of 35 resource consents, 45 building consents and two district plan changes. Over the last 16 months, the Wynyard Quarter has literally been home to 300 construction workers, in the later stages working in two shifts six or seven days per week. We completed 800,000 construction hours with no serious injuries.”

The Wynyard Quarter opening began at dawn with a powhiri. The Prime Minister, John Key, attended with the Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, the chair of Waterfront Auckland, Bob Harvey, and other city dignitaries. The day of activities and festivities included classic boat displays and racing in Viaduct Harbour, live music and outdoor cinema in Silo Park, art and heritage tours, and a lantern festival that was much enjoyed by the younger visitors.