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Re: Relocating Bean Rock Lighthouse

Letter to the editor regarding the Ports suggestion to relocate Bean Rock Lighthouse. Published in the NZ Herald, Tuesday October 2, 2012. Ever so slightly edited. Unedited below.

Regarding: “Tony Gibson: Port: We have to earn our place” 27/09/2012 (http://nzh.tw/10836774)

The Ports of Auckland in their Wednesday herald contribution suggested shifting Bean Rock lighthouse, an iconic Waitemata asset with Historic Places Trust Category 1 status, into the city centre. This certainly is “a challenging idea”.

Relocating a historic lighthouse from it’s namesake site undermines its context – a huge part of why this iconic marker to the inner Auckland Harbour reaches Category 1 status.

You have to wonder why the Port would even suggest this . . .

Ideas like this highlights exactly why the “creative lot at the Port” should not be leading the design of Auckland’s waterfront. The Herald over the last week has demonstrated that Aucklanders are yearning for a true waterfront edge to their city including growing support for greater consideration of an alternative Port location in the Auckland region.

Auckland’s waterfront should be designed by the city’s talented architects and urban designers – not the Port. The waterfront should not be compromised by the increasing waterfront land and city infrastructure required by the Port when there are other locations worthy of decent analysis.

Nick Sayes, Daniel Marshall Architects

Read the NZ Herald Article