An aerial render of the Tauranga waterfront plans. Image / Supplied
An aerial render of the Tauranga waterfront plans. Image / Supplied
Plans for an $84 million rejuvenation of Tauranga's waterfront described as a "hallelujah moment" have been approved.
At a meeting on Monday, Tauranga City Council commissioners adopted the Tauranga Moana Waterfront Plan.
The master plan includes The Strand carpark becoming an open green space with pōhutukawa, a new playground, Masonic Park upgraded and a waterfront walkway from Memorial Park to the city centre.
The Dive Crescent carpark will also be upgraded, the long-empty waterfront exhibition space Cargo Shed will be refurbished and a new wharf constructed at the end of Wharf St.
Of the $84.2m, $43.8m has been allocated through the $303m budget for the Civic Precinct rebuild. The other $40.4m is budgeted as part of the wider civic development and will be funded through the long term plan.
The Tauranga Waterfront plans include replacing the current carpark with green space. Image / Supplied
An additional estimate of $16.5m for a wharf in front of the Cargo Shed and The Strand South Reserve had yet to be budgeted for, as the projects had not been costed.
The civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa will include a new library, museum, civic whare (a venue for council and community meetings), an exhibition space and upgrading Baycourt Community and Arts Centre.
It will occupy the land between Wharf and Hamilton Sts with improved connections to the waterfront.
Commissioner Bill Wasley, a long-time Tauranga resident, said adopting the master plan was "a bit of a hallelujah moment" because there had been plans made for the area since the 1990s.
Wasley liked that it had open green space and was "practical and not laden down with massive building development" which is where earlier initiatives had "ran aground".
The connection to back to the moana was important too, he said.
Commissioner Stephen Selwood. Photo/ John Borren - Sun Media
"We are a city that has turned its back on the water and not used it for a long time in terms of access, amenity, just being able to see it."
Wasley said it was also important that the entrance to the CBD from Dive Crescent was being improved as it had been "extremely average" for the 30-plus years he had been in the city.
Commissioner Stephen Selwood said it was an "extremely exciting" project.
"To think that we are now in position where we can move from just doing perpetual plans to actually funding and implementing one, I think is a major milestone for us and deserves to be celebrated," he said.
"The master plan that we have here is both exciting and I think will be widely welcomed across the community, that finally we're doing something for the city that really makes a difference."
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said the waterfront was a fantastic part of Tauranga and "the missing piece" was detailed plans for the $10.9m Masonic Park upgrade.
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley. Photo / John Borren - Sun Media
She said the plans were still being finalised and the council was consulting with the businesses that face the park.
"We don't want that to be what it is today, which is just an open, empty wasteland ... that's what it resembles at times."
The design was to incorporate the park into the civic precinct and pedestrianise Willow St between the two spaces, she said.
"The intention is so that it'll be seamless and people will be able to move without vehicles between the civic site right down to the waterfront, through Masonic park.
"We are looking at how we keep that visual from the civic whare down to the moana, but at the same time provide green and shade and inviting places for people to be."
Wasley wanted to ensure all the funding was "resolved".
"We don't want to go back in history and have a project that's only partially complete."
Redevelopment of the Dive Crescent carpark and work on the Memorial Park to the city walkway were already under way.
Commissioner Bill Wasley. Photo / John Borren - Sun Media
A further $61.3m of projects identified in the plan include renewal of The Strand sea wall and Fisherman's Wharf, and construction of a $50m public transport hub.
These projects have existing funding through the council's marine facilities and transport activities.
Council staff will report back to the commissioners with detailed costings for both budgeted and non-budgeted projects by the end of the year.
The plan will also be subject to consultation through the Annual Plan process in 2023.
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Waterfront users spoken to yesterday were concerned about the removal of a parking lot on The Strand and whether it would be replaced elsewhere.
Tauranga City Council director of civic development Mike Naude told the Bay of Plenty Times 134 carparks would be available in the Dive Crescent carpark once it had been upgraded - due in the first quarter of 2023.
The northern carpark on The Strand, to be transformed into a reserve, would lose 145 carparks when it closed after the Dive Crescent work was done.
He said the council had approved a budget of $50.7m in the current long-term plan to look at public transport facilities in the city centre, with Dive Crescent one location option being considered.
While renders appear to show a pedestrianised stretch of The Strand, he said this was an indicative concept design only.
"Further investigation into this area of The Strand will be determined at a future date."
He said an aim of the waterfront plan was to create a more accessible city centre that supported walking, cycling, micro-mobility and public transport for all ages and abilities.
"This means changing the way we use our streets and spaces to support the most efficient ways of moving people: walking, cycling and public transport."
STREET VIEW
We asked people using the waterfront yesterday for their views on The Strand carpark becoming an open green space.
"I am not completely opposed to it, but only if they are going to replace the carpark somewhere else. But to get rid of about 100 car parks and not replace it somewhere else is ridiculous." - Kat, Mount Maunganui
"I think parking is a problem. For anyone to use the playground they need somewhere to park." - Maree Kennedy, Waihi
"It's absolutely ludicrous. Tourists come to town and they don't want to go by bus downtown. All they want to do is come down, see Hairy Maclary, walk around the waterfront and go down to Bobby's for some fish and chips. They are going for half a day's trip - where are they going to park? They are not going to catch a bus or get in a taxi." - Murray White, The Avenues
It would be nice, but where would everyone park? Parking in the middle of the day is already very difficult. People would obviously be sad to lose it. - Janice Rooney, Omanawa
