Papamoa playground put on hold

A playground in Papamoa to rival Tauranga's Memorial Park playground looks unlikely to happen for at least 10 years.
The $500,000 playground in Simpson Reserve, opposite Papamoa Primary School, was originally scheduled to be built in 2015.
But it has joined several projects on city parks and reserves recommended by council for deferral beyond 2020 in order to control projected burgeoning debt levels.
The cost-cutting goes out for public consultation next month as part of council's 10-year plan deliberations.
The playground hit the headlines nearly three years ago when council proposed putting it on pony club paddocks near Papamoa Beach Holiday Park. The outcry and resource consent issues saw it shifted to the corner of Dickson Rd and Parton Rd.
It was planned to be a ``destination' playground _ so modern and so big that families would make a special trip just to enjoy it.
In other decisions on Monday, council has cancelled plans to spend $500,000 buying as-yet unidentified blocks of land along Cambridge Rd and Moffat Rd to provide the public with viewing spots down to the Wairoa River valley.
Council also cancelled plans to purchase assorted blocks of land neighbouring large existing reserves acquired in the city's urban growth areas. The land was earmarked as being needed to improved the quality of the reserves, such as better road frontages.
However, council was persuaded to stick with land purchase negotiations currently underway to secure neighbourhood reserves in in Ohauiti, Papamoa and Welcome Bay. The reserves were identified in subdivision consents.
Improvements worth nearly $2.3 million to Papamoa's Wairakei Stream stormwater reserve, from Sandhurst Dr to the end of Papamoa Beach Dr, survived the budget cuts.
It will see works commence in 2012 and continue for the next 10 years to enhance the reserve, including walkways, landscaping and planting.
Axed from the 10-year plan were $500,000 of land purchases to provide walkway connections from Welcome Bay Rd to Waitaha Rd.
Council requested more information on proposed $3.2 million of land purchases in Pyes Pa's urban growth area. The land was to meet new base-level standards for public open space.