A petition to re-establish the Mount Maunganui fun park had nearly 1700 signatures.
A petition to re-establish the Mount Maunganui fun park had nearly 1700 signatures.
Bay residents still support the concept of a water fun park on Moturiki Island despite council rejecting the idea.
A petition to re-establish the Mount Maunganui 1980 marine attraction gained nearly 1700 signatures but the effort to turn back the clock on the island was soundly defeated by Tauranga City Council on Tuesday.
The petition harked back to the days when Moturiki (Leisure Island) was home to a marine attraction and water park.
Catherine Hunt and her husband Thomas organised the petition in November and handed out forms in the Western Bay and as far afield as Hamilton and Matamata.
Leisure Island Marine Land
Mrs Hunt grew up in Mount Maunganui and said coming home from Australia after 30 years she realised there was "nothing here".
"In my opinion, before we even get to present it to council, I'm pretty sure they've already made up their mind but the fight will still be on," Mrs Hunt said.
She had no idea the amount of support her petition would get, saying "it just took off".
Papamoa resident Paul Tkaczuk remembers the Marineland water park fondly and said sitting on top of the water slide on Leisure Island "was like being out at sea".
"It was quite special. It was fun days out by the beach and in a great environment."
Mr Tkaczuk said the location and the environment made the attraction special.
Leisure Island Marine Land.
"I remember walking across the island crossing and sitting on the slide, looking out to sea.
"There was a slide from the top of the island and a few seals and penguins," he said.
Mr Tkaczuk said he took visitors around the Mount but headed out of town to enjoy other attractions.
He believed more attractions in Mount Maunganui would boost the local economy.
"You see buses picking up people from cruise ships that come in and taking them all out of town," he said.
Tracy Little moved to New Zealand from England 10 years ago and was one of the 1688 people to sign the petition.
She said she was inspired about the attraction of the water park through stories shared by friends.
"Lots of the locals and lots of my friends have told me a lot about it, and they remember it just being fantastic. They really miss the fact that it's not here," Mrs Little said.
A water park on Moturiki Island would be "unique and special," she said.
Mrs Little said since she has lived in Tauranga she has seen a massive growth in development and has noticed more people moving to the area.
"The idea sounds like it would be a super facility for the community. It would suit so many people, not just children," she said.
"You see the campground at the base of the Mount just absolutely chocka over the summer time and imagine how much money would be brought in to the area," said Mrs Little.
Mrs Hunt said she had thought about a water fun park being established elsewhere in Tauranga.
"We may be able to access some land out Tauriko way. There are other places we have looked at, but we're just going to wait and see what the council says," she said.
"Something needs to be done, we're in it for the long haul."
Mr Crosby said the council had no intentions to build a fun park attraction but if the private sector wished to build one there were other more appropriate sites in the city.
"It would not be on a reserve that is in or around Mount Maunganui, it would be in commercial or industrial areas," Mr Crosby said.
