Neatrly $l million will be injected into Western Bay reserves following the regional council's purchase of the Papamoa Hills park. The 100ha Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park, which opened in July last year, was established by a partnership involving Environment Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City and Western Bay District councils. ButEnvironment BOP, keen to establish its own network of regional parks, has bought out the local councils' two-thirds share for $920,000. The deal means the local councils can push ahead with developing the Plummers Point sub-regional park near Omokoroa, the sports park at the top end of Pyes Pa Rd and the Kopurererua Valley Reserve in Tauranga. Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said the deal would allow his council to direct more resources to the development of local parklands such as Kopurererua Valley and Carmichael's Reserve. Western Bay Mayor Graeme Weld said ownership of Papamoa Hills was better off in one set of hands as it was less complicated that way. He said some of the money that was freed up would help pay for land at the end of Plummers Point peninsula. Plans were now being drawn up to turn it into a sub-regional park. Mr Weld said Western Bay and Tauranga councils were working together on the active park in Pyes Pa and an announcement would be made soon. With the way the region was growing, it was important to secure suitable land now for the benefit of the ratepayers in the future, he said. Environment BOP chairman John Cronin said his council was pleased to buy its first regional park. "Papamoa Hills is a very special place," he said. Mr Cronin hoped it was the start of a network of regional parks in the Bay. The regional council had just bought 20ha of land at Bryans Beach near Ohope and it was also eyeing part of the Ford block, near the Kaituna River, in the stage two development of Papamoa East. The Papamoa Hills land, which was once owned by former regional councillor Barry McNaughton, was bought in 2002 and contained one of the country's most significant pa sites. Since it was opened, thousands of people have visited the park, taking the 45-minute walk to the summit and enjoying the sweeping views of the Bay coastline. Tauranga City, which employed park rangers, would continue the day-to-day management of the Papamoa Hills park - with all three councils sharing the operational costs. The city council also had full-time rangers operating at Mauao and McLaren Falls, and would be taking on another for Kopurererua Valley in January.
