Kāinga Ora no longer considering buying Bongard Centre, University of Waikato expresses ‘interest’

Labour list MP Jan Tinetti and Tauranga National MP Sam Uffindell expressed support for the Bongard Centre forming part of a Knowledge Precinct. Photos / Alex Cairns

A building earmarked as a “critical” piece of Tauranga’s future CBD plans is no longer being considered for social housing.

And the University of Waikato has expressed interest in buying the property.

Government housing agency Kāinga Ora has confirmed it is no longer looking to purchase the Bongard Centre on Cameron Rd for social housing. It would also share its due diligence and land analysis findings with the university and Tauranga City Council if required.

The Bongard Centre has long been considered a “critical” part of plans to establish a Knowledge Precinct in the CBD area. It was expected to tie in with the existing University of Waikato campus on Durham St which itself drew millions in local investment because of the precinct plans. Because of this, the first stage of the precinct plans - to build the university’s Tauranga campus - drew $30m in investment.

However, earlier this year the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend revealed plans had been approved to sell the Bongard Centre and Kāinga Ora was considering buying it.

The potential sale prompted concern from city leaders who said the potential sale would have “very real, negative consequences” for the city.

This week, Kāinga Ora confirmed it was no longer considering the site.

General manager of urban planning and design Katja Lietz said the opportunity to buy the Bongard Centre came via the Crown land disposal process.

“However, after undertaking due diligence we determined it did not meet the requirements of the land programme.”

Lietz said it was aware of the city’s Knowledge Precinct plans, as it worked closely with the council and stakeholders “and our due diligence included exploring whether this potential acquisition could support the realisation of the Knowledge Precinct”.

Lietz said Tauranga remained a priority area “given the current housing shortage” and it continued to look for opportunities to ease this pressure.

Education Minister and Labour list MP based in Tauranga Jan Tinetti said she met with the Housing Minister in her office and was joined by Kāinga Ora officials. She said when she first met with Kāinga Ora about this matter, “they didn’t really have a clear idea” of the city’s and university’s Knowledge Precinct plans.

“They were more than happy to take that to their meeting,” Tinetti said.

The Bongard Centre on Cameron Rd. Photo / Alex Cairns

“I don’t know if that was a factor in their final decision but they’ve made that decision and offered to share due diligence and land analysis findings with the University of Waikato and Tauranga City Council. I’m really delighted with the outcome.”

Tinetti said she had been acting in her capacity as a local MP rather than as Education Minister.

“I really had no ability to intervene as Education Minister,” she said.

In June, Tauranga Tertiary Campus Charitable Trust chairman Mark Arundel wrote to Tinetti to express concern about the proposal.

In the letter, Arundel said retaining the Bongard Centre was “critical” to the city achieving its plans for the area and the trust had always assumed the site would remain protected.

Tinetti told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend that when these concerns were raised with her “and I saw your piece, I thought there must be a way as a local MP that I can say ‘this isn’t ideal here’”.

“We need social housing but the issue is where. In this particular instance, it’s not good right in the middle of the Knowledge Campus.

“I think this is a better outcome.”

Local list MP Jan Tinetti. Photo / Alex Cairns

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell became aware of the potential sale earlier this year when investors of the University of Waikato campus shared concerns about the potential sale.

Earlier this year, Uffindell put written Parliamentary questions to Tinetti asking if she was aware of the plan to sell and whether she intended to retain it for the Knowledge Precinct. Tinetti responded she was aware and did not intend to retain the centre.

Uffindell said Kāinga Ora’s decision to back off the Bongard Centre was “great for the city”.

“It’s really important that we have the Bongard Centre for expansion. We want to have a bigger university and research capacity in Tauranga ... that expansion is really important for our city.”

Uffindell said the Knowledge Precinct would help add to a vibrant CBD and local economy.

The Bongard Centre was built in 1991 for business, management, office, computing and hairdressing educational programmes. It is next to the University of Waikato campus on Durham St and there were plans for the centre to form part of the city’s future Knowledge Precinct, a project aimed at centralising tertiary education in the CBD.

A Bay of Plenty Tertiary Education Partnership - involving the university, the then-Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Te Whare Wānaga o Awanuiārangi and Wairariki Institute of Technology - sought support for its vision from councils and stakeholders.

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell. Photo / Alex Cairns

In 2015, the partnership was given a $30m-plus land funding package from Tauranga City Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (Tect), resulting in the university Durham St campus. The campus opened in 2019.

Tect chief executive Wayne Werder said investors such as Tect contributed because there had always been the assumption of the Knowledge Precinct. The university campus was expected to be stage one of the wider plan.

“In stage two, the Bongard Centre would be a real strategic asset as part of [the precinct].”

Werder acknowledged nothing had yet been finalised regarding the Bongard Centre’s future but “we would hope the Government and university can find a place that works for both of them”.

A University of Waikato spokeswoman said it had “bold plans to create a significant campus presence in Tauranga city, and sees the Bongard Centre as a key site to deliver this”.

“We have expressed an interest to the current and previous Minister of Education to acquire the Bongard Centre as part of these plans for future growth and to accommodate future teaching, research and student accommodation,” she said.

The university was notified by Kāinga Ora on August 25 that it had withdrawn its interest in the Bongard Centre, the spokesperson said.

Plans for Tauranga's CBD include eight precincts. Image / TCC

Kiri Gillespie is an assistant news director and a senior journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, specialising in local politics and city issues. She was a finalist for the Voyager Media Awards Regional Journalist of the Year in 2021.