Tourism sector asked to stump up $1m for Mount i-Site

Iconic visitor information centre proposed to be built on Maunganui Rd frontage of Coronation Park at Mount Maunganui. Photo/file

Bay tourism operators will need to find up to $1 million to secure the iconic version of a new gateway visitor information centre at Mount Maunganui.

Tauranga City Council yesterday voted 10-1 to put up to $4 million of rates into the draft 2017-18 Annual Plan, even although several core elements of the project were still undecided.

Tourism Bay of Plenty's preferred site for the $5 million information centre for tourists and cruise ship passengers was on the Maunganui Rd/Nikau Cres corner of Coronation Park.

However, the council decided to seek public feedback on the two Coronation Park site options, the corner fronting Maunganui Rd and the former i-Site next to the police station in Salisbury Ave.

The council agreed that half of its proposed $4 million contribution towards securing a basic building should come from the city's commercial ratepayers and the other half from the general rate.

Tourism Bay of Plenty would investigate external funding options for the remaining $1 million, with the council making it clear that the tourism sector should be funding the culturally significant iconic additions to the basic structure.

Tourism Bay of Plenty chief executive Kristin Dunne said visitor information centres were loss leaders for the visitor economy, but research showed they were needed.

Mount Maunganui has been without a dedicated i-Site since Tourism Bay of Plenty closed the Salisbury Ave centre nearly five years ago because it was losing too much money.

It replaced the centre with an information centre for cruise ship passengers, called an i-Port, set up in converted containers on the wharf.

Ms Dunne said the proposed iconic visitor information centre and i-Port was a partnership project with iwi, with the design a reflection of a meeting house, with spaces for a powhiri (welcome) and art exhibitions.

"It's an iconic design on a much-loved site. We must feel proud to bring visitors to it."
There were health and safety issues with the Salisbury Ave location, she said.

Mayor Greg Brownless and council chief executive Garry Poole have been authorised to negotiate with the Port of Tauranga on a new route for cruise ships passengers across the port, so they emerged onto Coronation Park through a new gate in the port fence, and were funnelled into the new building.

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout highlighted how the square metre cost for the visitor information centre was double the cost of the new surf club building planned for Papamoa.

Councillor Rick Curach successfully moved that they should consider a design and build procurement process.

Cr Curach was concerned at the loss of amenity from putting the i-Site on the Maunganui Rd frontage of Coronation Park. "The other site is already built on."

Councillor Catherine Stewart opposed putting the project into the 2017-18 Annual Plan, saying it was putting the cart before the horse because the council had not sorted out access onto Coronation Park and who would contribute.

She said parking was constrained at the Mount. "One of the key things is access."

Ms Dunne said transport and parking were critical criteria and that was why they preferred the corner site.

Mr Brownless said he supported putting the project into the Annual Plan on the basis that the exact location had to be determined. "There are still some issues there."

He said it was time for businesses that directly benefited from tourism to put their hands in their pockets. "I will be watching this space and waiting for them to jump forward and help fund this."

Visitor Spend in the Bay of Plenty

- Average $2.5 million a day
- Estimated spend 2016 $933 million
- Estimated spend 2015 $853 million
- 44 per cent increase from 2012

Source: Tourism Bay of Plenty