"Aukland(sic) holds the distinction of holding the first St Patrick's Day party, since midnight on March 17 reaches New Zealand's largest city before anywhere else."

"It is also the farthest celebration away from Ireland, almost exactly the opposite end of the world at a massive 11,290 miles away from Dublin."

"Naturally, Auckland's 1,076-foot Sky Tower is lit with the Irish Tricolor for the day."

Compared to some of the other places on the list, Auckland's celebration seems, to a New Zealander at least, to be pretty unexceptional.

The Parade, which has become an annual event in Queen Street, was probably the first in the world, this year at least, because the Hugh Green Group Parade took place on Sunday the 15th. Watch Video.

It was competing for attention with the cricket, The Eagles, Pasifika Festival, the Volvo Ocean Race, and an approaching hurricane.

The annual Emerald Ball was held on Friday 13th.

The ball was billed as "an opportunity to savour the delights of Irish hospitality and culture."

"A guaranteed fun night out with traditional music and dancing, delicious food and Irish craic, a night that will be remembered long after the event."

According to the promoters the Ball is a "premier event attended by many high-profile dignitaries and personalities from both the Irish and New Zealand communities."

The ticket price was $2250+ GST for a table of 10.

That included a 3 course Irish inspired meal with accompanying wine, Guinness, and Baileys.

Source

• St Patrick's Festival Auckland
• Irish Central
• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Eventfinder.co.nz

A public hearing is taking place as part of the Auckland City Council consent process. The brothel is being built by Wellington brothers, John and Michael Chow in Victoria St, opposite the Sky Tower.

Heather Harris, Auckland Council's resource consents manager, said, "The proposal is for a building of 15 storeys, including a basement. The building will contain restaurants, bars, nightclubs, a brothel occupying 1.5 storeys, hotel and offices."

The council publicly notified the Chows' application for the huge new brothel because of what it deemed special circumstances. That resulted in 221 submissions being made, of which only one was in conditional support.

The Chows' planner, Green Group's Martin Green, is arguing strongly for the tower to be allowed because it mostly complies. The only major aspect which is non-complying is the short-stay accommodation, a discretionary activity on that site, therefore up to the council to make a call.

Monsignor David Tonks, pastoral assistant to Catholic Bishop Patrick Dunn, warned in his submission that the building could increase crime in the area, particularly murders. He believes that new brothels should be limited to existing red light areas such as Karangahape Rd and Fort St.

Monsignor Tonks said the building's height indicated a quantity of commercial sex intended far in excess of any other Auckland brothels.

"The proposed brothel would encourage the expansion of the sex industry, which I believe is not in accord with the intentions of the Prostitute Reform Act," which, he said, aimed to decriminalise prostitution, and to create a framework that safeguards the human rights of sex workers and prohibits them from exploitation and promotes the welfare, occupational health and safety of sex workers.

"Few parents would encourage their children to sell or buy sex, because they consider such activity humanly demeaning. They would, therefore, prefer places where sex is sold to be restricted to less prominent areas than Victoria St. Aucklanders are proud to show visitors the Sky Tower. Most would consider an adjacent brothel to say the wrong things about the values we hold dear," he said in his submission.

But Auckland Council lead senior planner Jennifer Valentine said because activities within the tower were permitted, she could not consider "moral or religious objections, nor potential increases in illegal activities such as crime and drug use".

Bishop Dunn says it is ironical that only recently the childcare centre in the ANZ Centre, a short distance from the proposed new brothel, was demolished, in order to allow significant redevelopment of the site, bringing considerable inconvenience to families living in the central city area. "We see that financial advantage clearly outweighs the public good in decisions made by property developers and by our city fathers whose responsibility it is to promote the wellbeing of our citizens," the bishop said.

More: New Zealand Herald

Auckland Catholic Diocese

The Aucklander

Photo: Stuff