Northland's premier public sporting park is in hot demand and short supply.
Several sports are vying for a further slice of Kensington Park and want more field space to expand their activities.
Northland Hockey, which has two artificial turfs on the park, wants to build a new turf by the end of next summer and plans to build another in about 10 years' time.
In addition, netball, cricket and soccer also want to develop their activities, while athletics and gymnastics are already building a new stadium on the eastern boundary of the park.
Even the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) wants a slice of the park, a piece of land in the south-western corner, to construct a roundabout on the intersection of Western Hills Drive and Kensington Avenue.
With so many competing demands for the limited available space, the Whangarei District Council has decided to review the park's management plan.
Car parking space at the park, which has become a hot commodity in recent years, will also be up for review.
Up to 40 car parks will be lost when NZTA constructs the roundabout and it has not yet been decided how to replace them.
The roundabout will also cut into some of the space used by junior sports codes.
Four councillors have been appointed to form a panel to hear public submissions.
Councillor Greg Martin, who will chair the panel, said providing adequate space for sports groups was absolutely critical: "People playing sports are not in courts."
Mr Martin said he did not want to see Kensington Park "compromised in any way, ever.
"I'd never agree to any significant areas being cut off."
While councillors were reviewing how Kensington Park was managed, staff would be exploring options for a new urban sports park to relieve some of the pressure on Kensington.
"A new urban park is definitely on our radar, we're looking at other options," Mr Martin said.
An approach by the council to buy the Mt Denby golf course was last month refused by the members of the Whangarei Golf Club.
Meanwhile, Councillor Crichton Christie will not sit on the new panel because of his involvement (as a board member) with Northland Hockey, which he said had reached breaking point.
An artificial turf could facilitate about 800 players, however, Northland Hockey had 2300 players and only two artificial turfs.
"We have about 90 teams on two fields. People are starting to practice at 6.30am in the morning and it goes through till 10.30pm at night, six days a week," Mr Christie said.
The council had budgeted $1 million towards the building of a new hockey turf, which would cost $1.6 million in total, Mr Christie said.
"If it all goes well they would want to start [construction] after Christmas," he said.