The original owners of a large tract of Tauranga land want the area to stay a recreational reserve and have vowed to fight any moves to build a hospital on the site.
The comments by Ngai Tamarawāho hapū representative Buddy Mikaere come after Tauranga City Council commissioners narrowed down the options for the future of the 85-hectare Tauranga Racecourse Reserve.
In a meeting on Monday commissioners decided the future use of the reserve would include either a new hospital/health facility, or the existing Tauranga Racecourse.
Both options included retaining Tauranga Golf Club and more community use of the reserve, with extra recreation facilities such as a covered hard court space, planted walkway areas, a skatepark, and links to Kopurererua Valley.
Buddy Mikaere at a city council meeting discussing the future of Tauranga Racecourse. 14 August 2023 The Bay of Plenty Times Photo / Alex Cairns
The business case, likely to be completed in July next year, was expected to consider building at the reserve.
If a hospital was proposed, the Crown as landowner would decide whether the reserve was suitable for that use. If approved, the racecourse would be forced to move.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing had already expressed its intent to have a single racing entity for the entire Bay of Plenty region.
The meeting was told a new proposed location had been identified for “Bay of Plenty Racing” but no more information was available.
If the Crown did not support building a hospital at the reserve, the council would look to negotiate a new long-term lease on the land with Racing Tauranga.
Until Te Whatu Ora and the Crown made a decision, the racing organisation would retain its lease on the land, which had 15 years to go.
Mikaere said mana whenua would fight any plans for a hospital at the racecourse site.
He told the Bay of Plenty Times after the meeting he had already been in touch with hospital authorities to say, “You need to start talking to us”.
“We are treaty partners,” said Mikaere, who is also a board member of Racing Tauranga.
The reserve land was taken from Ngai Tamarawāho following the battles of Gate Pā and Te Ranga in 1864.
During the Wai 215 Tauranga Moana Treaty Claims the return of this land was not sought because it was being used for the community. Any use other than recreational was expected to trigger a Treaty of Waitangi claim.
When the council, in partnership with Kainga Ora, launched the Greerton Maarawaewae Study on the future use of the reserve in 2021, housing was an option. Mikaere warned at the time the hapū would “vigorously” fight such a move.
This week, he said Ngai Tamarawāho was prepared to fight again to challenge any proposed hospital, too.
He said building a hospital on-site also went against the intended use of the land.
Mikaere believed the reserve was prone to flooding and not suitable for housing or hospital infrastructure.
An image of Option D, an updated enhanced status quo that allows for racecourse if a hospital isn't decided appropriate for the space. Image / TCC
Mikaere questioned what other sites Te Whatu Ora was also looking at for the hospital as, in his view, “there are a lot of other sites where they could build”.
“There’s an issue with this [site] and it will require land zone changes, to which we have a right of reply,” Mikaere said.
“It’s the same with all the other parks and reserves. We’ve never challenged those because they are for the community. They are things for the community and we all benefit from them.”
At the meeting, the commission also agreed to give 12 months’ notice that it was terminating its 2020 Memorandum of Understanding arrangements with the Tauranga Racecourse Reserve Trust, an entity that managed the land.
The council would work with the trust to establish alternative reserve management “to provide for wider community recreation and sporting use of the reserve”.
A working party was also established to look at options for a new racecourse.
“It has identified there is a suitable alternative location if racing needs to be relocated. That’s on hold while we wait for Te Whatu Ora’s business case.”
Tauranga City Council general manager of strategy and growth Christine Jones at Monday's council meeting. Photo / Alex Cairns
Jones said a new proposed “Community Plus” option for the reserve was developed from community feedback and provided for either the racecourse or hospital while offering amenities such as the court space.
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley told the meeting the process so far had been good and involved different sections of the community who all had different views of how it could be used.
“But there were some very common themes that were offered by everyone; a) this is an important open space, and b) that it is important to retain that green or appearance of green space. There’s also desire to have access to Kopurererua Valley.”
Tolley said it was now best to “get on with it rather than continue talking about it”.
Tolley acknowledged the need to protect the racing club and equestrian centre, which were impacted by the uncertainty of the council’s plans.
The golf club’s future was confirmed, with the commission approving a 30-year lease.
This accounted for appropriate community access through the golf course with links into Kopurererua Valley and opportunities for more community use of the buildings and greenspace.
There would also be provision for future-proofing measures such as a potential State Highway 29A realignment, stormwater works that could require golf hole relocations, and, potentially, infrastructure for a hospital.
Tolley said that overall she felt the community “should be pretty happy” with the council’s decisions.
Commissioner Bill Wasley declared a conflict of interest in relation to the golf club and did not vote on the decision about its lease.
Former Racing Tauranga chairman Frank Vosper attended the meeting. He spoke in a personal capacity to the Bay of Plenty Times afterwards, saying he was cautiously encouraged by the decisions.
Frank Vosper, former Racing Tauranga chairman, at a city council meeting discussing the future of Tauranga Racecourse. Photo / Alex Cairns
“I think this commission has really put a lot of thought into it and not fobbed it off. It is a serious decision-making process,” he said.
He said racing was dear to his heart after many years with the club, and he was concerned about the future of racing in the Bay of Plenty.
“The only certainty for us as a racing club is that there’s no certainty but they can’t give it until Te Whatu Ora’s decision.
“Not everyone is into racing, I understand that, but for those of us that are, we want certainty.
“If we are there, great. If we have to move, great. To get certainty for the future, we didn’t quite get there today.”
Community consultation earlier this year showed the majority of 897 respondents (548) said preferred an option for an “enhanced status quo” at the reserve.
Another 201 preferred removing the racetrack to allow for the provision of future health facilities and 128 preferred a “Central Park” option. The remainder fell into an “other” category or did not select an option.
