The Premium debate: Subscribers have their say on Tauranga's $300m civic rebuild proposal

An artist's impression of part of the initial master plans for Tauranga's civic redevelopment. Image / Supplied

The "preferred" option of building Tauranga's civic redevelopment in a single stage has been costed at $303.4 million and would include a library, civic whare (venue for council and community meetings), museum and exhibition space, development of a waterfront reserve and linking the harbour with the civic precinct via Masonic Park.

Read the full story: Tauranga City Council floats $300 million plan for civic rebuild, rates rise

A library and a museum, who for? The vast majority of ratepayers will only go once, just to have a look. The insult to ratepayers is that council is pointing at a dead city as the need for change, when it was the council's planning which has driven shoppers out of the city in favour of malls, so they can park their car. That's right, a University was built in the centre without any car parks. In my view, the council killed the city and now asks for $300 million to build a new one.

Jeff A

Why is every city/town required to have a loss-making museum funded by ratepayers that hardly anyone ever visits? Add to that, every council wants to put rates up during a time of Covid hardship.

Max R

The ratepayers of Tauranga have already voted against having a museum, please respect this or have another referendum.

Greg S

Oh here we go again. The pie in the sky push for a museum. I thought this discussion had well and truly been put away in the past. There are so many other areas that need attention like just simply keeping the streets clean and tidy. Take a walk around the walkways and streets - they are totally unloved.

Dell G

$300 million is about $2300 per human, in Tauranga. How on earth could that be justified?

Ray S

Tauranga centre is the most depressing city centre in New Zealand. It's even worse than Huntly. Something needs to be done.

Keryn D

The money would be better spent on outlying suburbs. City centres are old school like Auckland's Queen St etc. Who wants to visit centres, where there is no parking and what there is, is overpriced? Malls are the new way.

Gwill P

Tauranga is like many CBDs around the country which have become unsafe, unclean and undesirable places to be. Spend $300m and it will be uninspiring and unaffordable.

Shane M

All monuments to political vanity. A total waste of ratepayers' money (both now and into the future).

Roger H

These museum projects are so often sold as tourist attractions, they very rarely are. Their cost-effectiveness is terrible, they are just bottom lines and end up being treated as such, then left to captured ideologies to squabble over, it's better online.

Aaron G

A waterfront development/relocating the railway would be a better use of money if this could be done cost-effectively.

Mike L

Why would someone believe the museum would be a white elephant? What evidence is there for this? Museums throughout NZ and the world are well supported. We always visit museums when we travel to new places. We then spend money in cafes and shops nearby. Growing up in Christchurch wet afternoons were spent enjoying its fantastic museum. I visited the beautiful Auckland Museum twice last year. Tauranga needs a museum and it will contribute to the revitalisation of the central city. Look at all the publicity around the new Hundertwasser Museum in Whangarei.

Catherine S

Traffic is already a nightmare. New town won't solve that problem.

Kristi H

What is the point in going into Tauranga City? Everything we need is situated elsewhere now.

James P

Been here 22 years and there've been constant new visions one after the after. Yet our centre city is looking worse now than when we came. Commissioners have been appointed with good reason; surely it's time for some sunshine ahead.

Ian W

Why can't we put both of our "historic artifacts" in the cargo shed and see how that goes? Also where are the trains to the port going? I can feel a Harrington street car park and transport hub coming on. And I am sure the consultation process will be cheap. After 18 years in Tauranga it is time for me to go from "La La Land".

Richard I

It's all well and good to have this but how long do the ratepayers have to keep putting their hands in their pockets? The rates are high now.

Malcolm G

Tauranga has a weird central city - it just is. Not sure this is the fix.

Mathilde T

- Republished comments may be edited at the editor's discretion.