Mooring dolphin - cruise ship mooring infrastructure Mooring dolphin - cruise ship mooring infrastructure
Please note: Auckland Council stopped work on the Queen’s Wharf Mooring dolphin project due to the negative impacts of Covid-19 on the cruise industry and on the council’s finances.
On 28 May, 2020, the council’s Emergency Committee unanimously agreed to surrender the approved resource consent for construction of a mooring dolphin north of Queens wharf, putting an end to the project for the foreseeable future.
A new cruise mooring structure at the end of Queens Wharf means newer and larger ships will be able to dock in central Auckland.
Project status: Resource consent currently under appeal
Project zone: Central
Project overview
Wahapū – Harbour
The rapid growth of the cruise industry over the last decade has been a boon for our economy and tourism industry and is now worth around $200 million a year to Auckland and the surrounding region.
Cruise ship visits to Auckland grew from 42 in 2006 to 131 in 2018, delivering tens of thousands of visitors to Auckland daily.
Queens Wharf is the primary port where passengers embark or disembark from their vessel; it is a gateway to our city and where first impressions are made.
Increasing the mooring capacity
The mooring dolphin will be constructed around 50 metres to the north of Queens Wharf and connected to the wharf by a gangway. It will enable larger ships to dock at Queens Wharf and retain Auckland’s desirability as a cruise destination.
Caption: Artists impression of the new Queens Wharf mooring dolphin.
The Mooring Dolphin is needed to accommodate the growing number and size of cruise vessels arriving in Auckland.
