Product Code Database
The Wynyard Quarter (historically also known as the Western Reclamation, Wynyard Point, Wynyard Wharf or Tank Farm) is a land reclamation piece of land on the Waitematā Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand.
It is located to the north of Freemans Bay and to the west of the Viaduct Basin. , a good part of the area is still covered by petrol and liquid chemical storage facilities of Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) and various other companies, that gave the area its now slowly disappearing "Tank Farm" moniker. However, major changes are underway, with the area intended to be redeveloped into a mixed-use residential-commercial area, with a major park to run along the northern headland and up to the point. As one of the first changes, the eastern section of the Quarter, as well as one of the main west-east roads running across it, were revitalised with new office and entertainment/restaurant areas, with several major projects finishing in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup tournament.
SeaLink runs a car and passenger ferry service to Great Barrier Island from a terminal at the base of Wynyard Wharf. The company was seeking clarification of its future facilities in the area in 2007, as their lease was running out in 2010, and it was unlikely to invest a planned NZ$19 million in a new terminal or start using a new, faster ferry vessel before legal concerns were sorted out. An ARC planning committee noted that it supported the further provision of the ferry service in the area, though there had previously been concerns about the island freight shipping not fitting into the redevelopment vision of the area (see below)." Wharf lease key to speedy Barrier ferry". The New Zealand Herald, 19 June 2007 The Waterfront Plan completed 2012 does include the island ferry terminal, to be in the same general area as before.
Shipping fuel storage, once an important facility at the Tank Farm, and delivered to ships in port by the Tolema refueling barge, was taken over in the late 2000s by a marine fuel tanker, the Awanuia, owned by the Seafuels company. The vessel serves Ports of Auckland shipping by bringing in fuels from the Marsden Point refinery in Whangārei."New refueling ship arrives". e.nz magazine, IPENZ, November/December 2009, Page 4
A sand mining company, McCallum Brothers, used part of the western water's edge to unload barges of dredged sand (for construction projects) but has moved out of the area which was subsequently transformed into a public park / event space (Silo Park).
Following similar declarations by Auckland City and the Auckland Regional Council, political and design processes were underway in the mid and late 2000s to define the future shape of the area, a change process that will take up to 20 years. One of the main public inputs at that time was a wish for increased waterfront access, as well as the desire for more parkland on the point. However, some of these wishes were muted from political sources, as the redevelopment of the area is to be paid by the development of residential areas, with the available land for this use shrinking with an increase of the proposed park space. Already mostly agreed on was a bridge connecting the new quarter to the Viaduct Basin.
Early plans intended to name the new area 'Kahurangi', Māori for 'blue/precious jewel'. This has now been replaced with 'Wynyard Quarter', though it is still generally referred to as Tank Farm, including when talking about the whole Western Reclamation." Brian Rudman: It's quite simple, Mr Politician, we want it all and we want it now". The New Zealand Herald, 2 July 2007 Others have suggested the label 'Tech-Farm', referencing a 2004 call to showcase on the waterfront New Zealand's best sustainable design and technology, Dushko Bogunovich: Waterfront could be showcase for world, 14 July 2004 as well as anticipating the government's and council's 2012 initiative to establish an 'innovation precinct' within the Wynyard Quarter." Chris Barton: Innovation nation? Searching for the plan to boost R&D". The New Zealand Herald, 30 March 2012
As part of the area renewal, the 'Wind Tree' sculpture that was located in Queen Elizabeth II Square outside of Britomart from 1971 until 2002 was installed in the new Jellicoe Square.
The August 2011 opening of the Wynyard Quarter to the general public, with the main features being the new Jellicoe Street and North Wharf areas, as well as the open spaces around 'Silo Park' (designed by Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Wraight and Associates) and the Viaduct Events Centre, were met with great public interest, and critical acclaim for the synthesis between open space and formerly industrial use.
One matter of contention, as became visible during previous consultation, is the future building height of the residential areas. After 10–16-storey buildings proposed in 2006 met strong opposition, the July 2007 design envisages only a small number of 14-storey towers, with the main apartment strips along the eastern side of Wynyard Wharf being no higher than seven storeys at the road, stepping down to three storeys at the water's edge." Project's building heights a balancing act". The New Zealand Herald, 2 July 2007
The new Western Reclamation zone is to be dominated by public transport, with the targeted transport mix being 70% public transport / walking / cycling and 30% motor vehicle, a reversal of the typical modal share in Auckland City. Ferries are also mooted as possible connections.
With new plans to open up the Auckland waterfront for more public access, the lack of sufficient cruise ship berthing space has entered the public discussion early 2008. This led to considerations that a new terminal could be built on the Western Reclamation. A major negative point for this usage would however be the short-term (from 2010 on) need for more cruise ship space, while the tank farm is unlikely to be redeveloped less than a decade in the future." Tank Farm a potential cruise ship terminal". The New Zealand Herald, 13 February 2008
Wynyard Quarter had a population of 486 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 321 people (194.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 360 people (285.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 243 males and 246 females in 327 dwellings. 7.4% of people identified as LGBTQ. The median age was 51.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 12 people (2.5%) aged under 15 years, 84 (17.3%) aged 15 to 29, 279 (57.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 111 (22.8%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 79.0% European (Pākehā); 6.2% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 17.9% Asian; 3.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.8%, Māori language by 1.9%, and other languages by 28.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 41.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 24.7% Christian, 1.9% Hindu, 0.6% Islam, 3.7% Buddhist, 0.6% Jewish, and 0.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 65.4%, and 3.7% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 276 (58.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 129 (27.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 69 (14.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $84,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 204 people (43.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 273 (57.6%) people were employed full-time, 54 (11.4%) were part-time, and 9 (1.9%) were unemployed.
The tram circuit was proposed by the Campaign for Better Transport and the MOTAT museum, and in Phase 1 includes a loop track with 4 stops and separate sidings to house the trams. Commercial service started on 6 August 2011. Phase 2 will be the later extension to Britomart, with no timeframe set. The 1920s trams are leased from Bendigo Tramway Museum in Australia, and are a W2 Class tram with 52 seats for weekends and holidays, and a 32 seat X1 Class tram for mid-week periods. However, the tram system will also be able to operate both trams at the same time.
The plans to connect the new quarter with Victoria Park would make a cut-and-cover tunnel construction possible along the length of the planned Daldy Street boulevard in the Western Reclamation, providing for two public transport and two private vehicle lanes. Light rail was also mentioned as a long-term possibility. However, as it was unlikely that the harbour tunnel section would be built before 2020 at the earliest, coordination with the development of the new quarter would pose some difficulties." Transit rethinks tunnel entrance". The New Zealand Herald, 5 July 2007" Tank Farm route for $3b tunnel (+map)". The New Zealand Herald, 10 July 2007
ASB Bank recently built its new headquarters for Auckland at the corner of Jellicoe Street and Halsey Street. Various marine-related industries also exist in the area, with many proposed to be retained even after the transformation of the area. In contrast, some other more industrial developments, such as an aggregate supplier and cement storage facilities, have already moved out of the area by mid-2011.
|
|
