CBD stadium plan gets boost

The Tauranga Strand.

A high-powered review of Tauranga's sport and recreation needs was expected to give a fresh impetus to Mayor Stuart Crosby's vision to build a 15,000 to 18,000-seat stadium on the downtown's Domain.

His plan to put Tauranga on the map for national and international outdoor sports fixtures has become part of a wider review by Sport New Zealand, in conjunction with the council's pools and stadiums trading company, Bay Venues Ltd.

Mr Crosby's idea hit the headlines early this year and attracted support from some of the region's leading sports people, including Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Mike Rogers.

He told the Bay of Plenty Times yesterday that the review involved a stocktake of all Tauranga's facilities.

This was then compared with what the city lacked and a list drawn up of how to fill the gaps.

He expected the final report to be finished by about April-May next year.

It would be accompanied by a parallel investigation ordered by Bay Venues chairman Peter Farmer to identify external non-ratepayer ways to fund the new facilities.

Mr Crosby said the joint Bay Venues/Sport NZ report would identify what type of facilities were needed and where they should be built. It had been successfully done in other regions.

Although his vision for a stadium had originally been couched in terms of providing a venue for national and international rugby, he said it would be a multi-purpose stadium for other codes such as soccer and league.

His preference had been to put the stadium on The Domain's lower fields because of its proximity to the downtown, with its university development, accommodation, parking and bars - with big games played in the evenings or weekend.

However, Mr Crosby said he had an open mind on the location.

"At least the process has started. It will be quite a big piece of work."

The mayor's announcement last January echoed long-standing frustration by sports fans with Baypark, who complain it was never designed to be a venue for winter games.

The lack of a suitable venue meant Tauranga had missed out on getting Chiefs games, with the long list of lost opportunities headed by the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Mr Crosby said there was no way the council would build the stadium.

He preferred the joint approach taken by Bay Cricket, where construction of the Bay Oval at Blake Park was a joint venture between the council, cricket and outside funders.