Tauranga City Council wants to hear how you would you like to see the 85ha of racecourse and golf club reserve land in Greerton used in the future. Photo / Supplied.

A new study led by Tauranga City Council in partnership with Kainga Ora – Homes and Communities is offering people the chance to imagine the future for the 85ha of racecourse and golf club reserve land in Greerton.

The purpose of the Greerton Maarawaewae Study is to identify opportunities that will support wellbeing and liveability as Tauranga continues to grow.

The community is invited to tell Council what the best use of this land might be over the next 10 to 50 years.

Options on the table include keeping the reserve land use as it currently is – or making some changes that improve access for a wider range of uses and users.

Ideas could include:

• Leaving the golf course as it is, improving the racecourse facilities and adding some housing (different types on some of the land)
• Leaving the racecourse as it is but moving the golf course to free up some more open spaces
• Creating a large destination park or community gardens and include a new facility for events and community activities
• Using some of the reserve for a transport hub alongside new housing and community facilities
• Relocating the racecourse and the golf course and using the land for a mix of different types of homes surrounded by parklands
• Reducing the size of the golf course and building homes, community facilities and new green spaces on the land that is freed up
• Having a mix of gardens, different types of housing, function centre and transport hub
• Leaving it as it is and putting additional homes, playgrounds, parks, gardens and community facilities in other parts of the city.

The total area of the reserve land is 85ha - about the size of 100 rugby fields. Photo / Supplied.

No decisions have been made and all options are on the table.

The Greerton area will soon be considered 'inner city' as the number of people living along the Te Papa peninsula continues to grow.

Commission Chair Anne Tolley says Greerton is likely to be at the heart of a much larger urban area stretching from the CBD to The Lakes.

"Greerton will offer the best of Tauranga – a neighbourhood where many more people will live, work, play and learn. The number of homes will increase but so too will the spaces and places that people play, socialise, exercise and have fun in – this will mean more dog walking places, playgrounds, parks, walkways and cycleways, community meeting places and more commercial and business opportunities."

Commission Chair Anne Tolley. Photo / Supplied.

There has been much interest in the Greerton Maarawaewae Study with plenty of ideas already coming in imagining what the future of this area might look like. With nearly $700m worth of infrastructure upgrades planned across the peninsula, there is plenty of scope to re-imagine how Greerton can be developed in the future for the greatest number of people to enjoy.

From now until Christmas, Council is listening to mana whenua, existing users of the reserve and community ideas and from February to March 2022 will seek feedback on the options to be developed. Commissioners will consider the recommended options in April 2022.

Find out more and tell Council what you think by either filling out the feedback form on the website, emailing the project team at greertonmaarawaewae@tauranga.govt.nz or dropping in to one of two community days:

• Sunday 14 November, 12pm-3pm, Greerton Community Hall
• Thursday 18 November, 4pm-7pm at Le Chat Noir Café, 144 Chadwick Road, Greerton