A small museum tracing the development of Mount Maunganui's surf and beach culture has been mooted for the Mount's planned $5 million Visitor Information Centre.
The idea was put to Tauranga City councillors yesterday by Marine Parade resident Gavin Hill amidst a flurry of public submissions on the location and function of the centre in Coronation Park.
Mr Hill said an iconic information centre could, if done correctly, become a destination in its own right.
"The design of the building and future park plantings should reflect our beach and the beach lifestyle and heritage we all know. The Mount is world famous for its beach."
He suggested that a bach or retro caravan could be incorporated into the development to reflect the development of the Mount's surf and beach culture from its humble bach and surf lifesaving beginnings.
"Surfing and surf lifesaving has the cool factor that is a great hook to attract tourists, and have wider younger appeal."
Mr Hill said the Mount pioneered surf and surf lifesaving in New Zealand, with some local surfboard shapers reaching world-wide acclaim. There were 145,000 active surfers in New Zealand.
Mount photographer Bob Tulloch said the visitor information centre should incorporate a theatre showing people where to go and what to do.
" What I am saying is that the theatre features the attractions of this beautiful Bay of Plenty."
If 20 per cent of cruise ship passengers paid $5 to see the video, it would generate $250,000 a season, he said.
"We have a wonderful story to tell. Imagine the story of Mauao, with powerful background music and a Maori narrator telling the mystical story of how Mauao was formed, then re-enacting the 800 year heritage of how Maori lived...there could be videos of the kiwifruit story, the port story and the holiday destination of Mount Maunganui."
Mr Tulloch said the theatre could be funded by a naming rights sponsor.
Councillor Larry Baldock did not want the video to detract from the museum experience. It should whet the appetite for the museum, he said.
Brad Coleman of Hinterland Tours said the design of the information centre needed to be future proofed. He said it should be a place where visitors could feel comfortable, with the design of outside spaces important to provide cover from the rain and sun.
Mr Coleman said the Salisbury Ave site of the old visitor information centre needed to be considered.
"If you put it on the main drag [Maunganui Rd] it might cause traffic congestion."
He favoured the i-Port and the visitor information centre working together as one, with consideration of how pedestrian flows would be managed.
The commercial importance of surfing to the Mount
- Six surfboard and surf apparel manufacturers in the Mount
- Six surf shops at the Mount, Bayfair and Papamoa
- Four independent surf schools at the Mount
- A nationally distributed surf magazine based at the Mount
- Thousands drawn to regular surf lifesaving and surfing events