Hands Off Tauranga Domain alliance members Gretchen Benvie, Michel Galloway, Mark Decke, Murray Clarkson and Garth Mathieson want the domain to stay a green space. Photo / John Borren, Sun Media
Hands Off Tauranga Domain alliance members Gretchen Benvie, Michel Galloway, Mark Decke, Murray Clarkson and Garth Mathieson want the domain to stay a green space. Photo / John Borren, Sun Media
Council plans for sports reserves in Tauranga are being labelled as “extinction notices” and the affected groups are protesting against them.
Tauranga City Council’s (TCC) Active Reserves Masterplans propose sweeping changes to the city’s sport facilities.
The plans for Baypark, Blake Park and the Tauranga Domain include building a $170 million stadium on the domain.
The concept “people’s stadium” would be three-sided with vistas toward Mauao and have 8000 permanent seats with the ability to bump that up to 10,000 with temporary seating.
If built, the stadium would displace the Tauranga Croquet Club, Tauranga Bowling Club and demolish the all-weather athletics track.
The croquet club, Tauranga Millennium Track Trust, Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club and the Baypark Speedway Association have formed the Hands Off Tauranga Domain alliance.
The alliance has organised a protest at the domain on March 5 to oppose the plans and create community awareness about them.
Tauranga Millennium Track Trust member Garth Mathieson told Local Democracy Reporting some of the affected clubs were offered relocation, but suitable sites had not been identified.
”The master plans are an extinction notice for a number of city assets and organisations.
”If you’re going to go and destroy other assets you need to have a good reason to do so, and that just doesn’t exist.
”At this stage, the croquet and bowling clubs were being “relocated to nowhere” and the proposed site for the track was unsuitable so it was being “relocated to nowhere” as well, said Mathieson.
The trust raised $1.7 million to build the world-class athletics track in 2008 and did not want to see it “ripped up” for a stadium.
The Tauranga Millennium Track Trust raised $1.7 million to build the world class athletics track in 2008. Photo / John Borren / Sun Media
The plan proposed to build an athletics track at Baypark in Mount Maunganui but the land was swampy and floods, and he believed it was too small.
”You could fit the actual track inside that area, but by the time you add the grandstand on, curtilage and room for people to watch on both sides it’s not big enough.”
It was also situated next to a transfer station and sewage treatment plant, with two fertiliser businesses nearby making it, in Mathieson’s view, a “totally unsuitable area”.
Trust chairman Malcolm Taylor said the track was used year-round by schools and athletics clubs and some clubs indicated they wouldn’t travel to Baypark if the relocation occurred.
Tauranga Croquet Club president Gretchen Benvie said the protest was important because people needed to be aware of the plans.
Benvie said the club had one meeting with the council and it was the club’s request.
Benvie said the four croquet lawns were world class and the club would not take the stadium proposal “lying down”.
She, along with the other affected clubs, wants the green space at the domain retained, not built on.
”I believe this should all be left as an open green space. It’s used all the time, this track, this whole area. It’s criminal.”
Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club captain Michel Galloway said the issues the club faced were the loss of two courts and encroachment from the stadium.
In the stadium proposal, the club would have two of its courts relocated to make way for another entrance and parking. The club would lose its view and instead look at the stadium wall, said Galloway.
”The whole beauty of our club is that we’re in the domain and it’s a beautiful environment. It’s a shame to put a big building [on it].”
The Active Reserves Masterplans also propose to remove Trustpower Stadium from Baypark which the speedway has called home since it was built in 2001.
The Bay of Plenty Speedway Association (Bopsa) spent $300,000 on consents for the 15,000-seat stadium. It was built by former Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson at a cost of $24 million. He owned and operated it until 2007 when he sold it to the council for $12m.
Bopsa president Mark Decke said the half-price sale was a gift for speedway so the stadium would be its forever home in Tauranga.
Like the other clubs, the speedway association had not been offered a site for relocation but unlike the others, there had not been the offer of financial assistance for relocation.
Decke said the cost of building a like-for-like stadium now would be $100 million, not including the cost of land.
”Where does a club come up with a hundred million dollars? No club can generate that sort of money.”
The concern was this cost would be passed on to the ratepayer, said Mathieson.
Tauranga commission chair Anne Tolley. Photo / Mead Norton
In response to the alliance’s concerns, council city development and partnerships general manager Gareth Wallis said the stadium business case was being led by Priority One and once complete, the council would have a much better indication of all the potential costs involved.
”It will be important to explore all potential funding options to ensure any potential costs for ratepayers are minimised, while ensuring that our community is provided with quality facilities that everyone can access and benefit from for the foreseeable future.”
In regards to consultation with the clubs, Wallis said: “It is still very early days but from the outset, [the] council has committed to working alongside the relevant sporting groups and other users at appropriate times in the process.”
”Initial meetings with these groups have taken place and will continue as the project develops, so we can hear from these groups and work through any potential issues together.”
On the issue of greenspace, Wallis said: “If the community stadium does go ahead, maintaining open spaces, public access, and the provision of green space would be a key consideration in the design and planning.”
Asked if the council’s commissioners planned on attending the protest, commission chair Anne Tolley replied that they did not plan to attend.
”The commission is very happy to meet with any organisations who are concerned about possible impacts on their activities,” she said.
”However, it should be noted that no decisions have been made and any future proposals would be subject to a full community consultation process, so clubs and the wider community will definitely have the chance to share their feedback.”
She said the masterplans were still at a “high-level” and Priority One was developing the stadium business case.
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt. Photo / Supplied
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said the economic development agency acknowledged the prospect of change might be challenging for some.
”We have also been heartened to hear some really positive feedback by existing and future users of a community stadium.
”Our focus now is on completing a business case to ensure the viability around use, affordability, and economic benefit.
”The business case is expected to be completed in April 2023 and is a vital tool to determine public benefit and funding from council and non-council sources.”
The protest is at 1pm on March 5 at the Tauranga Domain grandstand.
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