IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION RE BERTH HOLDER CARPARK COSTS Oct 25

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Gulf Harbour Berth Holders all received an email from the Marina company, dated 25th September 2025.

Their email was the result of a berth holder queries and two motions at the scheme AGM, which GHML show in their email. 

Members of the Berth Holders Association had submitted written questions about the basis of the valuations for the two carparks and provided evidence supporting their case.  The two motions were the result of ongoing lack of progress by GHML, or the Statutory Supervisor, in taking any corrective action. 

The two carparks (Lots 1 and 2) are being valued by two valuers appointed by GHML and GH Marina No 1 as 'light industrial zoned land and industrial yard base rentals'.  Lumping the carparks in with GHML's commercial/industrial rentals has driven the car park rental costs charged to berth holders to more than double for the 2023-2028 period.  

Gulf Harbour Licence Holders are paying more than double the $16-$18pw per carpark charged by other Auckland based Marinas, based on a valuation a berth holder commissioned.  In addition:

Auckland Council LINZ for Lots 1 and 2 states 'Land Use Carpark'

The Empowering Act covering the original marina development states lots 1 and 2 are carparks

Part of a Court of Appeal ruling in 2010 prescriptively declared lots 1 and 2 as 'carparks'

Note, the two motions were defeated because Mark Speedy held 44 proxies for marinas, which we understand GHML are the Licence Holder for. 

The Gulf Harbour Berth Holders Association, with support from berth holders, will pursue all options to correct this issue.

Please suggest to your fellow berth holders that they support our efforts by joining the Berth Holders Association online. 

• The Marina Co AGM was held 25 September 2024, attended by about 40 berthholders.
• After the accounts and Marina Manager's reports were accepted, the meeting then stalled in getting satisfactory replies to written questions about the 500% increase in carpark lease costs (Lots 1 and 2), over a fifteen year period. 
• Note the lease costs for Lots 1 and 2 have now been prepaid to Council until 2088, by and "associated entity" of the Marina Company. The Car park lease costs for 2023 to 2028 now sit at just over five million dollars, more than double that of the 2028 to 2023 period about five times that of 2013 to 2018. The Marina Company would only say this five milion dollars is based on two valuations but have not allowed us to see those valuations. The meeting was very vocal in their concerns about the lack of detail, both in the lease prepayment, and the huge increase in lease costs. The feelings were strong, the meeting rejected the Auditors Report and the Statutory Managers Report. The Marina Company Minutes can be found on their website, underneath the berthholders tab, using GMH2024 asthe password. We now need to decide on what action the berthholders association should take, if any.
• We welcome your support and input, so please feel free to contact our Secretary, Bridget, on 021 434010 or email: berthholdersgulfharbour@gmail.com

We had our regular meeting with Marina management last Friday the 26th of May and below are the points discussed:

• Trolleys stacking up around the Drystack launching area on weekends proving problematic. Do the Drystack tenants contribute to the trolleys financially? Marina staff will be asked to redistribute these as required and management will get back to us regarding the financial contribution towards trolleys from the drystack tenants.
• Land side lock up storage facility provision to be looked into by Management.
• 3 trials have been completed on different wifi systems on the piers. A decision and rollout of the best performing option is imminent.
• Ovlov marine engineers will begin to operate out of the old Marinequip premises in the near future.
• Discussion around the gates being held open on their magnets from 4-8 on Fridays in the summer? Also a trade off with security levels.
• Marina AGM to be held in September sometime.  TBC
• More information about the refurbishment plan will be available at Septembers AGM.
• Our new Marina manager is a top bloke who previously worked at Pier 21, Murray Dixon.

Matt Mitchell GHBHA chair

Here are the notes from our latest meeting with Marina management on Friday March 10th.

• Mike Keown is now the top contact at the marina since Tony has moved on.
• We raised slow email responses and messages left on the marina office phone not being returned. This will be looked into.
• We discussed recent power plinth outages and how that gets communicated to the effected parties. Management well aware of the mess this can cause.
• Surveys of the floating docks well underway. Worm damage to some piles will start to be fixed with varying methods as well as ongoing maintenance continuing.
• Council Biosecurity team carrying out inspections on vessel fouling levels and they will notify owners that have an issue.
•  Electric vehicle booms and security gate systems still under review. Breaker beams to release gates when exiting each pier were incorrectly supplied hence the intermittent performance. These will be replaced with the correct units soon.
• Wifi upgrade is in this year's budget. Remains problematic due to rigging clutter.
• Opex will go up by 1.8% and Refurbishment contribution by approx 6% to cater for pile replacements etc. Email detailing this to follow.
• Drones now being used to help monitor diesel spill sources

· Our marina is definitely not on the market.

Kind regards

Matt Mitchell, GHBHA chair

Here are our notes from last Friday's (Dec 9th) catch up with Marina management:

• Tony  and the board continue to work on a list of possible dispensation situations for Licence transfer fees. This will be made available to      berthholders to provide some clarity and consistence in the near future.
• Some insurance providers no longer send certificates directly to the marina.  Management will request these certificates as they are a requirement of the berth licence.
• All vessels must have a current electrical WOF and an annually tagged lead to use the shore power.
• New cameras are being installed to view fairways and footpaths.
• Sensored unlocking of the gates from the pier side continues to be trialled and  improved. A trial to leave the gates unlocked from 8am till 8pm on  weekends and 4pm to 8pm on fridays is underway. Most importantly the magnet holding the gate open will be activated for this same period.
• Overnight security staff now have tags that record their presence at each end of all piers.
• The piling barge will be on site during Dec. Most work is adjacent to K51 and F59.

Kind regards and have a great boating holiday season,

Matt Mitchell, GHBHA chair.

Here are the notes from our September catch up with Tony and his marina management team.

• Following      a discussion regarding Berth transfer fees the marina management agreed to produce a  sheet explaining how the fee is calculated and a list of circumstances that qualify for some exception.
• The  question was asked, "Can Marina AGM minutes be signed off before they're accepted at the next meeting?" This was covered at the AGM and the answer is yes.
• Upcoming refurbishment costs for the marina will be planned, clearly communicated and spread out.
• There are 2 quotes in from companies looking at upgrading marina wifi.
• Discussion around leaving the gates unlocked and able to be held back by the magnets for long periods during busy times such as Friday afternoon/evening. Trial to be held.
• There is a plan in place to update Pier identification signs and berth number plates.
• Tsunami alarms and protocol to be communicated to Berth holders via email.
• Marinas  insurance will cover infrastructure replacement in the event of a Tsunami  damage.

We have our next meeting in early December so if anyone has any questions they'd like presented feel free to post them in the comments on this post.

Kind regards and have a good week

Matt Mitchell GHBHA chair

Coffee Catchup Notes ( Tony & Mike plus Bart and Matt ) Friday 23rd April

Gate Delay. 

GHM are trialling a magnetic stop on Piers C and Z. The magnetic stop holds the gate open for 30 seconds before it releases and the gate shuts. If successful and reliable, it’s likely they will be installed on all piers. Matt and Bart being on “C” find they work really well.

Fuel.

The fuelling facility will be moved more towards the marina entrance ( about where it used to be). Possible before Christmas 

It will be a bigger facility with more pumps. The fuel hoses ( non marking hose) will be on reels rather than the current riser poles. The reels will have sufficient hose to reach the far side of vessels refuelling. 

Tony confirmed the fuel pricing at GHM is tied to being “ no more than 5c above Z Manly”

Fuel Jetty Bird droppings.

Matt suggested GHM try LED lighting strips on the edge of the fuel berths . Orakei Marina has installed these with great success as the birds don’t stay at night, where it is brightly lit. Mike will look in to this.

2028 GHM rebuild $30m est.

We suggested to Tony and Mike that this looming issue needs to be clarified as to how it will impact berth owners. 

As it stands GHM could ask for the total $30m in 2028 ( roughly $30k per berth). 

This cost would renew all berths. Tony explained this won’t happen for several reasons:

1. Where could all boats in GHM ( approx 1000) go to allow a total rebuild in one hit.

2. The 2016 survey said GHM is approx 70% in good condition, so a “total rebuild” is not required. A 2021 survey is being undertaken to give an updated status of GHM, following the 4 - 5 years R&M undertaken since 2016. This updated status report/comparison will identify any major works and allow for planned upgrade/rebuild over a number of years.

3. A potential average charge of $30k per berth in 2028, would likely devalue all berths as 2028 approaches. 

Given the major impact of this potential cost, 

Tony will seek a clear outline at the next GHM board meeting (May?) , as to how the rebuild costs will be billed to berth owners. 

Ideally , if there are 15 piers, that means $2m total rebuild cost per pier on average. 

One total rebuilt pier per year would cost each marina owner $2k per year, on average, for 15 years.

Again those costs would only apply for a “total rebuild” of GHM