30 years after the Rainbow Warrior was bombed, Ports of Auckland are looking to put up a memorial commemorating the sinking.

Ports of Auckland is proposing building a monument to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior on the city's waterfront.

The Greenpeace vessel was sunk in a terrorist attack while it was moored at Marsden Wharf in July 1985.

But Marsden Wharf is being demolished, and Ports of Auckland said it was important that the event was permanently commemorated.

Ports of Auckland The proposed memorial to the Rainbow Warrior bombing would be on Quay St, opposite the wharf.

The company is seeking Aucklanders' views on a design for the memorial on Quay Street, opposite the site of the attack.

"We believe it is important that we establish a memorial for such a significant event in Auckland and the port's history," port chief executive Tony Gibson said.

The design, developed by environmental planners Boffa Miskell, includes a seat facing north incorporating the bollard the Rainbow Warrior's bow line was moored to when she was sunk.

There would be a description of events laser cut into a steel sheet on the red wharf fence next to it.

The plan is supported by Greenpeace.

"I think the idea and concept proposed by the port is a very good one and I am hoping that the public will think so too," executive director Bunny McDiarmid said.

Rainbow Warrior skipper, Pete Willcox, added: "It would be nice to have something physical here at the Marsden wharf site to remind people walking by that this is where it was."

The public service offering from the port company follows the heated controversy over its plans to build an extension to its Bledisloe cargo wharf, east of Marsden Wharf.

The port was forced to stop work on the project last month after a High Court challenge from urban design lobby group Urban Auckland.

The court ruled that the port's resource consents for the work were invalid.

Ports of Auckland has said it will not appeal the case.

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Michael Goldwater, of the Stop Stealing Our Harbour group which backed Urban Auckland, said the port company's moves over a Rainbow Warrior memorial were "ironic".

"They're consulting the public over a small sculpture, but they didn't think it was in their interests to consult the public over a massive reduction in the size of the harbour," he said.

Aucklanders can view the drawings and give feedback on Ports of Auckland's website. The plans will also be available during a Greenpeace exhibition at The Cloud from July 10-12.