Editorial: New campus will energise the city

There has been plenty of talk about reinvigorating the Tauranga city centre, tucked in tightly between the Cameron Rd ridge and the waterfront.

One swift move this week will speed up the redevelopment and bring renewed vibrancy to the city.

Bay of Plenty Tertiary Education Partnership formally asked for some land so it can build a new downtown student campus, and Tauranga City Council duly obliged by providing its undeveloped carpark in Durham St - with no leasing costs for 33 years.

The progressive move was supported unanimously by the councillors - and suddenly the prospect of Tauranga becoming a student destination became a reality.

The partnership plans to construct three big buildings over time and establish a unique campus that will take up most of the block between Spring and Elizabeth streets.

The new buildings will link in with the Bongard Centre, which is owned by Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. Why couldn't it become a student accommodation centre?

The teaching model is a first for the country - Waikato University, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi will be combining to provide a wide range of tertiary education, from pre-degree to postgraduate courses, related to regional business needs.

Eventually housing up to 3000 part and fulltime students, the new campus will have an emphasis on research and development, particularly involving technology and science.

The partnership wants to develop a showpiece for business and innovation and be capable of hosting centres of international excellence, such as marine studies.

It's estimated that 1000 equivalent fulltime students, including PhDs, will inject up to $30 million into the local economy, based on fees, accommodation and personal spending.

The earthquake-prone buildings along The Strand need to be redeveloped, and the renewed activity created by the campus and students should spur the owners into action. And of course the downtown waterfront will be dressed up by the time the students arrive.

The decision by the councillors this week was one of their biggest, in terms of future development and economic growth.

Through the research and development, new businesses and products will pop up and more career-oriented professionals and their families will be attracted here.

Through the courses, the pool of skilled labour will increase, providing a strong backbone to the local economy.

Tauranga has always had the potential to be the best city in the country - in terms of where to live, work and play - and the tertiary education campus will go a long way to achieving this.

The city council this week took the first step, and surely the councillors' show of strength will encourage Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust to provide the initial funding of $30 million.

This will enable two buildings to be constructed - the first starting later this year - and the parents and children in Tauranga will have plenty to look forward to ... instead of them waving goodbye to their children as they head for the other universities in New Zealand.