. . . bordered by safety rails/fences to stop party folk falling off . . .

Party folk, as in aged paid-up CitRats?

But maybe to speed the turnround that doesn't happen with cruise ships nowadays?

But, hell it is not my city, not my rates!

Well, if I heard him right, if the Government doesn't stump up with another whacking great cheque Auckland City is taking its ball and going home. I presume you pay taxes?

Actually I'm surprised that a National government, that bastion of private enterprise would engage in such a think bug orgy of public spending.

Here in Dunedin we have many small private establishments that already provide these services for free – we call them "bars"

(channeling Farrar's mob)

Actually I'm surprised that a National government, that bastion of private enterprise would engage in such a think bug orgy of public spending.

Cheers, Paul. I'd like to think anyone with half a brain would be raising their eyebrows at Banks' performance on Morning Report. But hey,?

Here in Dunedin we have many small private establishments that already provide these services for free – we call them "bars"

And part of the problem with downtown Auckland is that there's no concentrated cluster of bars with adjoining large public space that is either pedestrianised or can be pedestrianised?

Is there anything else we'd be looking for in a supermayor? Just sayin'.

Whether you can create such a precinct from scratch in a couple of years, and maintain its viability once the scrums have departed, is a big question.

Spot on.On that, I wonder why the square (currently yet another car park) behind Britomart hasn't been considered? It's certainly large enough and?

Does the Party need to be one central place? Why not have two or three centres and at least 2 could have big screens?

Probably not: even in Wellington, we've tended to have screens at both Queens Wharf and Courtenay Place. In Auckland, which is bigger & less centralised, that approach?

Tom Beard: Does the Party need to be one central place? Why not have two or three centres and at least 2 could have big screens? My adult kids used to like to drift from venue to venue when partying.

I believe the Cuba Carnival springs to mind.

Is there anything else we'd be looking for in a supermayor? Just sayin'.

A willingness to do whatever Robyn Gallagher tells them.

Meanwhile, if someone would like to make the street lights outside my house actually work, I'd be most appreciative. No rush.

I suspect if you can somehow link your street to the world cup (any All Blacks live near by that go for evening jogs?) it'll be fixed in a?

Auckland definitely needs some better facilities for the cruise ships, but shouldn't the Port Authority?

I heard the name 'Party Central' and recalled that tragically un-hip '40-Below' function they held for grooving Nats of the Farrar generation.

Shudder. I'd mercifully forgotten that. It helps explain why the Nats believe collectives can't organise anything good when that's their reference point.

I believe the constraining factors are?

I'm curious to see what the banana sheds are like on the inside actually..... though i suspect the?

Is there anything else we'd be looking for in a supermayor? Just sayin'.

A willingness to do whatever Robyn Gallagher tells them.

Tom can be my mayoress.

I'm confused as to why the City Council should be involved with providing the Cruise Ship terminal

Mike, it's just standard corporate welfare so that the relevant industry doesn't have to pay its way. Tourists bring money in, but for some reason it's ratepayers who should foot the bill rather?

Tom Beard: knows his urban design. Knows his bars.
Is there anything else we'd be looking for in a supermayor? Just sayin'

then as above...

And what is it in the Wellington water that makes politicians go – "Wa-HEY, have I got a GREAT IDEA for Auckland!..."?

And why do they only give us two weeks to think about?

Sow's ear, anyone...?

But really you want something more people scaled, you want to be able to touch the?

The city development general manager, John Duthie, said the two cargo sheds were "magic spaces", full of exposed kauri, totara and matai native timber and steel beams.

I have a 'magic space' under my house, too, full of old timber off-cuts, concrete lumps and bits of foam insulation and pink?

hey – you nominated ME last time!

We need to have at least two candidates to avoid the impression that PAS is rigging this thing.

(Although we are.)

Here's an example, not that it'll ever get built...

Wow – that's great! Here's hoping...

We need to have at least two candidates to avoid the impression that PAS is rigging this thing.
(Although we are.)

Oh. Okay.

While I am in favour of the opening up of the waterfront, I'm confused as to why the City Council should be involved with providing the Cruise Ship terminal (or have I got that wrong?).

Because the city council wants the cruise ships to come to their city. Same way?

If NACT were really true to form this would?

Because the city council wants the cruise ships to come to their city.

As opposed to all those other New Zealand cities with liner terminals, you mean?

(Interesting that no developing country airports make the top 5, either. All the ones I've been to have at least some?

all those other New Zealand cities with liner terminals

Whisper it quietly, but they don't actually need one. Cruise ships happily tie up alongside the cargo wharves at Tauranga and Wellington. Some of the smaller ones visit places like Milford Sound and the Bay of Islands and use launches to?

But in Auckland the airport is owned by a private company – which is why it has to be about the suckiest airport on the pla et – designed to keep people away from planes and to not get through customs

But Auckland airport is partly publicly owned by local?

I suspect most cruise liners would want to stop in Auckland so that passengers can transfer through the airport.

Correct – there is a huge change-over of passengers when the ships are in Auckland, evidenced by the hotel bookings over those days and the number of tourists wheeling their suitcases?

Could the passengers not be transferred in a "sealed bus" from airport to boat without going through customs? That would make the cruise experience better at minimal cost..

You want them to pass through customs. Means they enter Auckland, stay in hotels, shop, go to restaurants etc.

Has anybody actually MET John Duthie? Why is this man in charge of City Development?

I understand Jack
met him once when he was on his way to market. He exchanged his cow for some magic beans John offered him.

Since that worked out so well for all concerned, I'm?

You end up with queues of passengers along side the cargo sheds waiting to clear Customs/Immigration

Could the passengers not be transferred in a "sealed bus" from airport to boat without going through customs?

When I worked for Customs (back in the 80's) an officer would be transferred out to?

Sea-Tac comes the closest for that experience. We had a few hours there once, asked a taxi driver to take?

Has anybody actually MET John Duthie? Why is this man in charge of City Development?

I haven't, and as he may one day be my boss I don't want to bad-mouth him too much, but let's just say this:
"He has been in charge of city development since 1989".

Nuff?

it doesn't help the passengers joining the cruise in Auckland.

hah! True enough. Friday brain drain

We did, but first we walked on the grass and took our shoes off.

Do they not have those satanically evil fire-ants in Washington?

I don't want to bad-mouth him too much

Haven't met the man either, and I'd suggest that one person can seldom do much damage on their own – has to have the buy-in (or at least lack of resistance) from other senior managers and Councillors. Maybe the inside of those?

Maybe the inside of those sheds does feel way cooler than the outside looks?

Yes, we may be doing the man and his uphill salesjob a great disservice.

However, I'm inclined to think that if it has a beak and quacks, its probably a duck, and not a succulent Christmas?

John Farrell, Otepoti does some things *so* well...and then there's the phuquing new stadium.

As an ORC (and Waitaki DC) rates payer, I truly *hate* the concept and look forward to it *never* eventuating.

...but something is a little fishy...

I hear the words "Cruise Ship Terminal" and "Party Central" – richly evocative of a golden era!
Redolent of boom times or just conveniently mentioned in the same context...

Is there any hard information that?

Ian, I had an email from someone today saying of the Party Central name:
perhaps there was a large sign bearing that legend on the lounge wall of John's Canterbury University flat.

eighty million buckeroos? that'll subsidise a fair few years' worth?

Is there any hard information that there are Cruise Ship visits associated with the brief window of the Rugby World Cup?

The information here doesn't quite make it to the Rugby World Cup months:
cruise ship timetable

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/infrastructure/2517504/Queens-Wharf-development-a-mystery

Is it too late to let Japan host the thing?

Equally mysterious was why the ARC would spend $20 million to half fund the purchase of the wharf from its own subsidiary Ports of Auckland, and then expect another council to develop it.

"Queens Wharf has always been owned by the public, so why there's now $20?

I was there when the latter was opened with a great hoopla – but no-one came, the good shops were replaced with shittier ones and I'm not even sure what's in there these days. Anyone?

Got retro-fitted into Shell's corporate HQ, and there's still a few cafes etc. on the?

And I'm sorry, but... I like the $14m to do up the sheds. Any building there should evoke it's setting and those basic shed outlines do that. $14m gets you quite a lot of do-up and their?