Tauranga stadium: Plans still under fire from clubs that would be moved on

An impression of what the proposed stadium at Tauranga Domain could look like.

Plans for a community stadium in Tauranga’s city centre are still under fire from clubs that would be moved on if it were built.

The proposed $220 million stadium would have 7000 permanent seats and provision for an extra 8000 temporary ones at the Tauranga Domain.

It would also include a “light” exhibition centre, a function centre, a community multi-use facility with changing rooms and lounge space, and a sports science/physiotherapy space.

Tauranga City Council consulted on the stadium as part of the Long-Term Plan 2024-34 (LTP).

The Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club and Tauranga Millenium Track Trust expressed their opposition at the LTP hearings on Monday. The tennis club would lose parking and have some of its courts relocated, while the trust’s all-weather athletic track would be demolished if the stadium went ahead.

Garth Mathieson, of the track trust, said the proposed stadium would not have enough parking and could not be expanded to keep up with Tauranga’s growth. Rotorua had a 20,000-seat stadium and a much smaller population.

”The community stadium will result in the loss of a substantial part of the only large green space in central Tauranga.

”Let’s call the community stadium what it is: a second regional rugby stadium.”

Mathieson said funding should be from external funders rather than ratepayers.

Tennis club captain Michel Galloway said the green space at the domain should be left for future generations. The stadium would result in a loss of the community sports that operated there.

She requested that the stadium be removed from the LTP.

The Tauranga Croquet Club and the Tauranga Bowling Club would be displaced if the stadium were built. The track trust, tennis and croquet clubs formed the Hands Off Tauranga Domain alliance and held a protest in March last year.

About 500 people turned up in support.

Barry Scott said the council had failed to adequately consult the community about the stadium.

”The council needs to consider the views of the community, encourage people to present their views and provide those people with a reasonable opportunity to make their presentation. Then they must receive those presentations with an open mind.”

Scott also called for the stadium to be removed from the LTP and for the 10-year plan to be delayed until September. This would enable the council elected in July to “have a proper look at it” on the residents’ behalf.

Ken Green said there were assumptions most people made about stadiums. These were that the initial cost was always wrong, that stadiums had cost blowouts and that they were multi-use.

”As soon as you put grass in one, it does not become multi-use. In New Zealand, as soon as you put grass in it, it becomes a rugby stadium.”

Stadiums also sat empty most of the time and the cost of running them was “huge”, said Green.

”They sit there the whole time doing nothing, which really isn’t a good use of all that ratepayers’ money.”

The hearings continue on Tuesday and Wednesday.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.