Have Your Say: Help shape the future of Auckland’s downtown wharves

10 April 2025

City Centre
News
Development
Urban regeneration
Mana Whenua

Aucklanders are being invited to find out more about proposed plans to improve public access and activity on Auckland’s waterfront.

Transformation of the central wharves for Aucklanders and visitors will provide significant civic, cultural and economic benefits across the region. The goal is to improve public access and activity on the waterfront and strengthen the connection between the city centre and Te Waitematā Harbour.

It will continue the ongoing regeneration of the waterfront and help achieve the Mayor’s vision to have the most loved waterfront of any harbour city in the world.

In 2024, Auckland Council endorsed the Port Precinct Framework Plan. This indicative plan considered options for the future of the whole port precinct.

Now is the opportunity to test the Framework Plan ideas specific to the central wharves and the surrounding waterspace. The next step will be to use public feedback to develop a draft masterplan for further testing.

The central wharves are Queens, Captain Cook and Marsden wharves, the Hobson Wharf Extension and the promenade area along the water’s edge (known as the breastworks).

The proposed plans will also consider the water space surrounding the wharves.

Captain Cook and Marsden wharves, and the associated breastworks will be transferred from Port of Auckland Ltd to Auckland Council within the next five years.

The intention behind this work is to:

improve the health and mauri of the waterfront environment
provide improved public spaces and areas for events
deliver a more suitable base for cruise ships
separate cruise ship operations from ferry activities
create a new promenade area along the water’s edge
celebrate our unique heritage and culture
investigate opportunities for quality commercial developments where these make sense.

We will be asking Aucklanders what they think of the potential role and function of each of the central wharves, what they’re like to see and experience in these spaces and for their thoughts on other things they would like us to consider as part of our planning.

Anyone will be able to share their ideas from Saturday April 12 to Sunday May 11. A series of interactive family activities will also be held during this period on Queens Wharf, where people can find out more about the options being considered.

All feedback will help inform a draft masterplan for the central wharves which we will share with Aucklanders over the coming months.

The Have Your Say website will be open from Saturday 12 April until 11.59pm on Sunday 11 May.

Visit AKHaveYourSay.nz for further details, find out more about the early public engagement activities, and share your ideas.