Editorial: Chance to make wishlist happen

Paul Adams from Carrus Group.

News a group of business leaders and philanthropists has picked up the challenge of finding ways to fund key civic amenities in the city has breathed new life into a number of stalled projects.

Chaired by Carrus Group's Paul Adams, the Civic Amenities Group's founding members are eight well-known local identities with strong track records in analysing, developing and fundraising for major projects.

Potential projects include a rugby stadium, high-performance sports facility, events centre, a city museum and additions to the Bay Oval cricket ground, including night lighting and a pavilion extension.

The group's main aim is to scope out various amenities the city required in the medium term and establish priorities so the projects are not competing with each other for the key resources to get them over the line.

Tauranga City Council chief executive Garry Poole and Mayor Stuart Crosby said they welcomed the initiative. It makes sense for an outside group to pick up the reins for these projects given ratepayer concerns about the council's debt level. Council would have no doubt faced strong criticism if it had taken the lead role in getting these projects off the ground.

Mr Adams is right when he says Tauranga lacks civic amenities given its population growth and it is pleasing to see a rugby stadium is on the group's agenda.

Baypark Stadium has copped criticism in the past - usually on the grounds that it is actually a speedway venue in the guise of a rugby ground. This means the closest seat to the action is about 30m from the ground.

The idea of a purpose-built outdoor stadium gained real momentum when Noel Pope was mayor but was shelved when the costs came in and it looked a bridge too far for cost-sensitive ratepayers.

Similar pressures have upset efforts to build a city museum.

Hopefully the Civic Amenities Group, free of the pressures of local body politics, will succeed where councils have struggled in the past.