The management of Ports of Auckland wants to extend the Bledisloe wharf by about 100m into the harbour. Ships are larger now and the wharf is not long enough. Ports of Auckland is owned by the Auckland City Council.
However, many people are very angry about an extension to the wharf. An open letter signed by more than 100 well-known people – business people, boating people and other sports people – says “Stop stealing our harbour”. The letter says that the extension to the wharf will destroy the view of the harbour, will make the mouth of the harbour too narrow and the harbour will be too busy. There will be a protest march on Sunday.
The problem is a working port located in the heart of a city. Some other big cities around the world have managed to locate their working port away from places where people want to live, walk, enjoy social activities or sail their boats. Protesters say that Auckland should use the ports in Whangarei or Tauranga instead to import freight but that would mean the cost of transporting freight to Auckland from these ports by rail or trucks. Ports of Auckland is a business, in competition with these other ports. Profits from the business go to the people of Auckland.
Vocabulary
• extend (v), extension (n)– make longer
• wharf – where ships tie up to unload their freight
• freight – goods imported or exported