Council to keep Avenues land

Avenues land sale protest leader Barry Coghlan.

Tauranga City Council has today decided to retain the land it owns in the Avenues, following a council review of the properties.

The decision follows a big protest campaign from neighbouring residents who wanted the greenspace alongside Takitimu Dr retained.

The review found that the costs of proceeding through the statutory process, including the Local Government Act, Public Works Act and related consultation to sell the properties at 120 Fourth Ave, 121 and 127 Fourth Ave, 98 Fifth Ave, 97 Sixth Ave, 98 Sixth Ave, 99 Sixth Avenue and 105 Eighth Avenue outweighed possible benefits.

In 2012, as part of its 2012-2022 Long Term Plan, the previous council adopted a land sales programme to sell surplus park-land, which included the Avenues properties.

Tauranga City Councillor Bev Edlin, chair of strategy and policy committee said today's decision not to sell the properties was not just based on the costs of preparing the properties for sale and an anticipated low return.

"There were many factors that staff gave due consideration during the review, such as the social, financial and environmental impacts, which assisted council to make informed decisions.

"Our decision therefore took into consideration the amenity value to the community, the impact on the green space network across the city, and the cultural significance of the area."

General manager of city transformation Jaine Lovell Gadd said the decision made in 2012 to look into the possible disposal and of these properties was made at a time when the council's focus was on lowering debt.

"Since then, wider considerations have come into play, including population growth and an expectation that the amenity of the city should be considered in more depth when we make decisions to dispose of open space land."

Councillor Edlin and Ms Lovell-Gadd met with Avenues residents last week to update them on the review.

The council is currently reviewing the properties that were included in the 2012 Land Sales Programme as part of a wider property and open space review.