Work to transform the historic Otumoetai Pa site into a public reserve is expected to begin next week.

Tauranga City Council is working closely with Ngai Tamarawaho, Historic Places Trust and the Fairview Trust to carry out the project.

Otumoetai Pa historic reserve from Levers Road.

A Council spokesperson says the property on Levers Road comprises the remnants of the Otumoetai Pa and carries historic significance for both tangata whenua (people of the land) and descendants of European settlers.

Tauranga City Council purchased the property from Alistair Matheson in 2003/04, with the intention of creating a historic reserve.

Due to intrinsic cultural, historical and archaeological values, the land was classified as a historic reserve on December 14, 2006.

In accordance with its classification, the management plan set out by the Council aims to balance the protection and enhancement of the cultural, historical and archaeological values with the provision of a passive recreation resource for the benefit of the wider community.

The historic reserve will open to the public in January 2013.