Late Reports Agenda of Ordinary Council Meeting

23 May 2022

11.8 Baypark, Blake Park, Tauranga Domain - Masterplans and Indicative Actions

File Number: A13499226

Author: Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

Authoriser: Barbara Dempsey, Acting General Manager: Community Services

Purpose of the Report

1. To seek agreement in principle on preferred options for major facility relocations at Baypark, Blake Park and Tauranga Domain, subject to consultation with affected and interested parties and the development of masterplans to guide development of each reserve.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Undertakes masterplans for Baypark, Blake Park, and the Tauranga and Wharepai Domains, with Bay Venues Limited and other key stakeholders; and

Pending finalisation of those masterplans;

(b) Identifies Baypark as the preferred location for a new Tauranga netball facility, consults and works with the Netball Association towards that objective;

(c) Works with Bay Venues Limited to explore options for the relocation of the Tauranga Domain athletics track and in doing so, consults with the Bay of Plenty Speedway Association about co-location and relocation options for a facility, subject to the community stadium development proceeding;

(d) Works with Tauranga lawn bowls and croquet to explore co-location and relocation options, subject to the community stadium development proceeding; and

(e) Continues to engage directly with affected parties, including existing users of the reserves, and with mana whenua and wider stakeholders as appropriate.

Executive Summary

2. Tauranga’s major multi-use active reserves – Blake Park, Baypark and Tauranga Domain – have developed incrementally over many years without coherent masterplans that account for the growing and changing demands of a modern city.

3. Through the development of the feasibility study for a new Community Stadium at the Tauranga Domain and following ‘Future State’ co-design processes with user groups at Blake Park, it has become evident that – to maximise the long-term potential of those sites – we would need to work with some of the current users to facilitate co-location or enable their relocation. These potential actions also trigger the need to consider the future of Baypark, which has significant potential for expansion as a home for community sport and recreation.

4. Work is now well underway to masterplan our major active reserves, and through those processes, we aim to provide more certainty on the timing and costs of the key actions we need to take to maximise long-term community benefits. However, given some consideration has already been given to long-term options, it is important to signal to current users and stakeholders the knock-on effects of developing a stadium, and optimising the reserve network, including our preferred options.

Background

Baypark

5. The Baypark Stadium is predominantly a single-use stadium that was vested in Council after its construction, with no plan for its long-term renewal. It is reaching the end of its useful life and has some significant capital renewals due, and overdue. It is currently managed and operated by Bay Venues Limited and runs at a financial loss. The Bay of Plenty Speedway Association has nine years remaining on its current agreement with Bay Venues Limited (and TCC) to use the stadium and, with slowly declining visitation, it is appropriate that we engage with speedway to consider their future, and how uses of that space that could maximise community value through greater participation in sports and recreation.

6. This also then obliges us to consider whether speedway might be better located elsewhere in the wider Western Bay area. Bay Venues Limited have made an initial approach to engage Bay of Plenty Speedway Association in dialogue about the potential future of both the Baypark site, and speedway, and propose to work with the club as we explore possible options.

7. If speedway were to be relocated away from Baypark, that would free up space for alternative uses and our indicative view is that relocation of the athletics track from Tauranga Domain, and of netball from Blake Park, could be appropriate uses of space at Baypark, alongside a coherent plan to maximise use of the site as a whole, which could also include relocating some events activity from Baypark into Tauranga Domain and the Civic Precinct. Bay Venues Limited are also currently considering other potential uses of the Baypark area and this thinking will be further developed over the coming months.

Blake Park

8. The ‘future state’ engagement process council undertook in 2021, with user groups at Blake Park, identified two potential concepts for the park. Further analysis since that process indicates that the preferred way forward for the park could include the following actions over the next few years:

(a) Completion of the Bay Oval and new indoor cricket net facility

(b) Expansion of the Adams High Performance Centre

(d) Potential reconfiguration of some tennis courts to enable additional grass field capacity

(e) Demolition of the Mount Sports Hall and relocation of some of the activities there to a new badminton and multi-sport facility at Tatua Reserve

(f) Development of a destination skatepark at the junction of Maunganui and Hull Roads

(g) Enhancement to the overall amenity of the park to make it a welcoming destination for community recreation, visitors and sports participants.

Tauranga Domain

9. The Feasibility Study for a new community stadium at Tauranga Domain identifies a preferred site for the facility within the reserve. Should the proposed business case indicate that the project should be pursued, that would precipitate the need to relocate the athletics track. There would also be an impact on Tauranga bowls club and croquet, which would likely require re-location as well as having some impact on other reserve users.

10. Alongside the business case process, it is proposed that we undertake a masterplan for the site as a whole, which considers options for the current users that would be affected by the community stadium project, that would be further developed with extensive stakeholder input.

11. In terms of alternative sites for current users, as noted above, our initial analysis suggests that Baypark would be a good long-term location for athletics, with an alternative option being Maraawaewae (Greerton Racecourse). The feasibility of those sites will be explored through concurrent and connected processes. We will also work with the bowls and croquet clubs to determine suitable alternative options.

Financial Considerations

12. Budgets for masterplanning and feasibility assessments already exist. There are no direct capital funding implications from the proposed masterplanning exercises, but it is likely that those processes will identify capital costs that would be brought to Council for consideration through future Annual Plan and Long-term Plan processes, or through bringing forward funding currently contained in the Long-term Plan 2012-31.

Legal Implications / Risks

13. Legal and risk implications will be identified and considered through proposed masterplanning processes.

Significance

14. The Local Government Act 2002 requires an assessment of the significance of matters, issues, proposals and decisions in this report against Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. Council acknowledges that in some instances a matter, issue, proposal or decision may have a high degree of importance to individuals, groups, or agencies affected by the report.

15. In making this assessment, consideration has been given to the likely impact, and likely consequences for:

(a) the current and future social, economic, environmental, or cultural well-being of the district or region

(b) any persons who are likely to be particularly affected by, or interested in, the matter.

16. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the matters identified are of high significance. However, the decisions sought by this report, are considered of medium significance.

ENGAGEMENT

17. Engagement with the stakeholders affected will be integral to the proposed masterplanning processes and while council works with the community to identify preferred changes.

Next Steps

18. Concurrently and connectedly consult with affected and interested parties to undertake, with Bay Venues Limited, masterplans for the Tauranga Domains, Blake Park and Baypark.

19. It is expected the masterplanning processes will be completed by October 2022.

20. Updates and progress on this project will be reported back to Council on a regular basis.

Attachments

Nil


AGENDA Late Reports Ordinary Council meeting Monday, 23 May 2022

Date:	Monday, 23 May 2022
Time:	9.30am
Location:	Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers Regional House 1 Elizabeth Street Tauranga
Please note that this meeting will be livestreamed and the recording will be publicly available on Tauranga City Council's website: www.tauranga.govt.nz.
Marty Grenfell Chief Executive