High-risk phone black spot concerns

A report written by the park's operations manager, Bill Wheeler, said this year's planned $310,000 in capital projects funded by the councils had been disrupted by Vodafone's decision. Photo / Stephen Parker

The owners of the Tect All Terrain Park are concerned the lack of cellphone coverage at the park would not allow high-risk sports to have instant communications if ever there was an accident.

Safety concerns around motor sports and other cross-country competitors emerged at a meeting this week of the Tauranga City and Western Bay District councils, which jointly own the park located between Rotorua and Tauranga.

The meeting heard the Tauranga Motorcycle Club and Te Matai Motorsport had signed leases for their respective areas and continued to develop plans for major facilities.

The motorcycle club had carried out preliminary ground works for an international standard motocross track, while Te Matai Motorsport, incorporating a number of different codes, had plans for autocross and speedway tracks.

A report written by the park's operations manager, Bill Wheeler, said this year's planned $310,000 in capital projects funded by the councils had been disrupted by Vodafone's decision to pull out of the community cell tower scheme.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said it was important that high-risk activities had good communications and a solution must be found.

Western Bay Council deputy chief executive Gary Allis said they had not found a provider but they were working with Chorus to get a cell tower. Extending the fibre network up to the park and having a lower tech cell tower was a similar price but they needed to find funders.

Mr Wheeler hoped further progress would be made to establish telecommunications in the park. Opportunities to exploit the new 700 MHz spectrum were being investigated.

Western Bay Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge asked whether the Rotorua District Council contributed to the park's costs. Fifteen per cent of the park's users were from Rotorua.

She was told there had been a lot of suggestions but no positive response.

Mr Crosby said they had to be careful because a lot of people from the Western Bay used Rotorua's Redwoods cycle trails. There was quid pro quo for a lot of activities, he said.

Tect All Terrain Park

*Where: Off SH36, about 27km from Rotorua
*Area: 1650ha of plantation and bush
*Strategic site: 2.5 million people live within two and a half hours' drive
*Sports include: Motorsport, mountain biking, target shooting, model aircraft flying