Tauranga: $50k raised for Rainbow Youth after building destroyed in suspicious blaze

More than $50000 has been raised for Tauranga's rainbow community after a space for youth was destroyed by fire.

Yesterday's fire, which police are treating as suspicious, has prompted an outpouring of grief and giving, including a Givealittle for Rainbow Youth.

The Historic Village building is shared by Gender Dynamix, an organisation that serves the needs of the gender-diverse community, and Rainbow Youth who use it as their drop-in centre.

Tauranga City Council venues and events manager Nelita Byrne said it was "too early" to determine the next steps for the building and the focus right now was to support tenants.

An "interim space" had been found for Rainbow Youth to use as the council worked through longer-term relocation options in the Historic Village.

"We are working closely with Rainbow Youth and providing support where we can," she said.

"We have been humbled by the many offers of support over this time."

The council had contacted its insurer who would assess the damage to the building, and then it would work through the "appropriate course of action".

A police media spokeswoman said there had been no arrests and inquiries were ongoing. Investigators were keeping an open mind on any potential motive.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand also confirmed the fire was still being treated as suspicious. It did not answer whether or not a cause had been identified.

A gathering was held at the village on Thursday afternoon where people came to support those affected - with speakers including Tauranga pride advocate Gordy Lockhart and Labour List MP Jan Tinetti.

Lockhart told the crowd, "the rainbow community has had a spear through its heart".

No one was injured in the fire. Photo / Emma Houpt

"That building is acceptance, it's being part of a community that perhaps you didn't have access to beyond these grounds," he said.

"So that somebody would come in and destroy that space is just absolutely gutting. To see it in that shape - when it was a bastion of acceptance and tolerance - [to see it] looking like that is disgusting," he said.

Katerina Clark, who started the Tauranga Pryde group at the Historic Village in 2014, said she viewed the fire as an attack aimed at the groups using the building.

"I can't say I have seen anything like this aimed at the rainbow group. We never had threats or anything like that when we first started up. This is massive, if it is aimed at the group specifically.

A gathering was held at the village on Thursday afternoon in response to the suspicious blaze. Photo / Mead Norton

Gender Dynamix extended an open invitation on social media to any member of the LGBTQIA+ / Takatāpui community for an open "community grief and process support group" held at the Historic Village.

"This will be a time and space for all members of our local Queer-Family to find healing and support among one another. We are stronger together and we will always deserve safe spaces."

Yesterday Gender Dynamix board chairwoman Maddie Stubbins said she was "devastated" by the fire but said the organisation's operations would continue "business as usual".

"We are devastated this has occurred and will do everything we can to support our community and overcome the challenges that lay ahead," she said.

Pooja Subramanian, the executive director of Rainbow Youth, agreed.

"I think any time things like this happen it really does feel like it's a heartbreak the entire community feels," she said.