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'Everyone's got to compromise' - Phil Goff pleased Team NZ willing to budge on Auckland waterfront plans for Am Cup

March 15, 2018

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says compromise is the big theme between the groups discussing the developments for his city's waterfront to host the 2021 America's Cup, and he's pleased Team NZ are playing their part.

Goff told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning negotiations were never going to be easy, but the key thing was they were making progress.

"When you're trying to find agreement between multiple groups of people, if you please one group absolutely you can be sure that other groups are displeased absolutely.

"What we're working towards is something that works reasonably for everybody but everybody's got to compromise a little bit to get there."

Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton said yesterday the latest design revealed yesterday, named the named the "Point-Halsey" option, was "workable".

"I think Team NZ signalled this will work for them - that was the most important line in Dalton's statement yesterday," Goff said.

The option moves Team NZ to the end of Halsey wharf which puts him closer to the rival crews but as a result there is no extension to the 

The design utilises land on Wynyard Point and reduces the original extension to Halsey Street Wharf to 45m while no extension would be given to Hobson Wharf.

It provides for two double bases on Halsey Stree Wharf, one of which will be ETNZ's base and additional bases on Wynyard wharf as syndicates are confirmed.

The design evolved from suggestions by local residents and interested groups and in the process became the cheapest of the four put forward while also having the least impact on the environment.

However, Dalton is concerned about being close to the opposition by the smaller extensions.

There are concerns the extensions proposed are still too intrusive on the environment with "an area of water at least the size of a rugby field" to be covered with concrete if the plan goes ahead.

"The unnecessary double-base on the east of Halsey Wharf would make the America's Cup Village less cohesive," Viaduct Harbour Holdings Chief Executive Angela Bull says. 

"But much worse, it creates a new, permanent and completely unnecessary encroachment on Aucklanders' harbour.

"That is the wrong legacy for Auckland."

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