New sports pavilion and library approved for Ōmokoroa

A multi-million dollar sports pavilion and library in Ōmokoroa has been approved.

Priority One's latest building consent report showed $2.2 million was issued for the new build at Western Ave last month.

The sports pavilion and library was one of $26.5m worth of building consents issued in the Western Bay of Plenty in June, which included $1.6m for works to the Te Puna Hall.

The sports pavilion is being built and funded by the Omokoroa District Sport and Recreation Society.

The project is a joint venture with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, which will build a new facility for the Omokoroa Library and Service Centre next to the pavilion.

Omokoroa Sports and Recreation Society chairman Richard Gerrish said the current building was old and no longer fit for purpose.

"We needed to upgrade the facilities," he said.

Gerrish said the new sports pavilion was significant considering the growth of the area and the amount of sport being played in Ōmokoroa and Western Ave.

"Once we have this new build it is going to become very popular," he said. "A lot of people will be coming to use it."

The ground floor of the new sports pavilion will include male and female changing rooms, a referees' changing room, disabled toilet access and three storage facilities for local sporting groups.

Upstairs will include the main pavilion room, kitchen, social room and additional toilets.

The library will include meeting rooms on the bottom floor and a library and service centre above.

Omokoroa Sports and Recreation Society treasurer Dennis Cresswell said the build had been in the pipeline for as long as six years and the community had outgrown the facilities.

"Ōmokoroa's population has increased probably between 20 and 50 per cent," he said.

"It has been a requirement for the Ōmokoroa community for a long time. It has finally come to fruition."

In six years the community had raised $1.2m with the help of Lotto and Tauranga Energy and Consumer Trust grants and the Western Bay District Council.

Construction would start once the final $200,000 was raised, he said.

Omokoroa Community Board chairman Murray Grainger said the new build was great news for the community.

"The current library facility is far too small for the growing community out here," he said.

"The new sports centre and library space is a magic halfway solution to get us through the current space crisis."

Western Bay of Plenty mayor Garry Webber said the sports pavilion and library was part of the wider development of the Ōmokoroa community.

"This is just an added facility that is required for a growing community," he said.

Webber said the council was working with the society to ensure the build started as quickly as possible.

The sports pavilion and library was one of many commercial projects issued consent since the start of this year.

Priority One projects manager Annie Hill said and expanding kiwifruit sector and the development of packhouses and coolstores had boosted Western Bay building consents issued in the last four years.

Hill said more than $100m had been invested in the kiwifruit sector, including $72m in the Western Bay district.

"There is also a lot of residential building activity happening in the Western Bay," she said.

"As our population grows, it gives people additional options in terms of lifestyle blocks as well as rural residents living in areas such as Ōmokoroa, which has seen considerable growth in residential developments, as well as Katikati and Te Puke."

Building consents
June 2019 summary - Western Bay of Plenty

Total value:$26.5m
Total number: 130

Single/multi-dwelling consents:
Total value: $15.2m
Total number: 38

Commercial consents:
Total value: $688,000
Total number: four

Government and community consents:
Total value: $5.7m
Total number: seven

Source: Priority One

Million-dollar-plus Western Bay commercial consents issued in 2019

JUNE
- $2.2 million for a new sports pavilion and library
- $1.6m for works to the Te Puna hall

MAY
- $11.1m for the expansion of Claymark's log processing facility south of Katikati

APRIL
- $1m for stage 3 of the Seeka development on Rangiuru Rd

MARCH
- $3m for stage 3 of the packhouse and canopy extension at EastPack Limited

FEBRUARY
- $1m to extend and enclose a canopy at Eastpack
- $15m for a new aged care facility at Hamurana Rd

JANUARY
- None

Source: Priority One