Cameron Rd Stage 2 update next month Sports clubs to protest

Tauranga City Council will next month come back to the community to share ideas on Stage 2 of the Cameron Rd infrastructure project. From March, TCC aims to share ideas and seek public feedback on the shortlist of options and plans to upgrade Cameron Rd from Seventeenth Ave, through Gate Pa and Greerton Village, to Te Ranga in Pyes Pa, to make it safer, more attractive, and improve travel options.

“...we have been working with local iwi and talking to community organisations, local residents, schools and businesses to get an understanding of the things that are important to them,” says the Building Our Future – Cameron Rd Stage 2 update in the January 31, 2023, ENews document.

Readers can nd out more about Cameron Road Stage 2 by visiting a virtual info room at: cameronroad.ghdengage.com e croquet club, Tauranga Millennium Track Trust, Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club and the Baypark Speedway Association have formed the Hands O Tauranga Domain alliance. e alliance has organised a protest at the domain on March 5 to oppose plans and create community awareness.

Sports clubs a ected by council “extinction notices” have organised a protest against plans that could displace them from the Tauranga Domain.

Tauranga City Council’s Active Reserves Masterplans propose sweeping changes to the city’s sport facilities. e plans for Baypark, Blake Park and the Tauranga Domain include building a $170 million 8000-seat stadium at the domain. If built, the stadium would displace the Tauranga Croquet Club, Tauranga Bowling Club and demolish the all-weather athletics track.

Suitable sites

Tauranga Millennium Track trust member Garth Mathieson told Local Democracy Reporting some of the a ected clubs were o ered relocation, but suitable sites haven’t been identi ed. “ e master plans are an extinction notice for a number of city assets and organisations.” e trust raised $1.7m to build the world class athletics track in 2008 and don’t want to see it “ripped up” for a stadium.

Plans propose to build an athletics track at Baypark, Mount Maunganui, but the land is swampy, oods and is too small, says Garth.

It’s also situated next to a transfer station, sewage treatment plant with two fertiliser businesses nearby making it a “totally unsuitable area”.

Used by schools

Trust chairperson Malcolm Taylor says the track is used year-round by schools and athletics clubs and some clubs indicated they wouldn’t travel to Baypark if the relocation occurred.

Tauranga Croquet Club president Gretchen Benvie says the protest is important to create awareness about the plans. “People just don’t know. I don’t know whether it's apathy or it’s [the plan] just being snuck under the radar.”

Gretchen says the club had one meeting with the council – and it was at the club’s request. “[ ere’s a] lack of consultation. One meeting doesn’t make consultation.”

Sites for relocation have not been discussed with club either, says Gretchen.“ e excuse is if they