Group pulls plug on harbour court action

Vibrant Wellington has dropped expensive High Court action to stop CentrePort's controversial Harbour Quays from being built on the waterfront.

The court action, against Wellington City Council and the port company, involved challenging a decision to grant resource consent for the 12 office and retail buildings planned for the eastern side of Aotea Quay.

Vibrant Wellington is a group of prominent Wellingtonians and includes mountain runner Kate McIlroy and architect Ian Athfield.

Spokesman Ian Cassels said "open and honest" negotiations with CentrePort had led to the dropping of the court action, which had cost the group "substantially more than $100,000".

A big factor in the group pulling the plug was the mixed uses proposed for the site in the council's draft district plan.

"It could be positive and really contribute to Wellington's future if it manages to adopt some of those mixed-use alternatives," Mr Cassels said.

"There is no requirement for that but there is a genuine appetite for interesting additions and alterations."

This mixed-use could be similar to the indoor sports complex that had been proposed for the site and is being considered by the port company and the council.

Mr Cassels said fears that the office park would suck the character out of the inner city, by shifting thousands of workers too far from the cbd, had lessened.

CentrePort chairman Nigel Gould said the position was positive for the Harbour Quays development.

- © Fairfax NZ News