Auckland councillors have voted narrowly not to take a tougher stand on new planning rules affecting harbour reclamation by its port company.
Those unhappy with the stance the council will take into hearings on the Unitary Plan forced a re-run of the debate today, but failed to get a majority behind them.
Council officers say there are no planning grounds on which it could argue that harbour reclamation was non-complying.
Ports of Auckland hopes to extend Bledisloe Wharf by about 135 metres.
The council could have forced any reclamation further into the harbour to be contestable but the rules will be determined over the next year by an Independent Planning Tribunal.
In the meantime, the mayor Len Brown said he expected the port not to make any move, before a major study about the its future which would begin late next year.