A Tauranga man is calling for people to join him at Marine Park to oppose the 'loss of green space” that will occur after a marine research facility is built there.

Neil Pollett organised the gathering at 4pm on Sunday January 22 because he wants Marine Park in Sulphur Point to remain a green space.

He has also started a petition to 'Save Marine Park” on change.org.

'It's a green space reserve, which we'll never get back,” says Pollett.

'I'm just concerned for the future of the city that they [the council] are promoting high growth in the Te Papa peninsula and are simultaneously removing any green space and any public space that people can enjoy.”

Tauranga City Council (TCC) reclassified 7000m2 of land at Marine Park from recreation reserve to local purpose reserve in July 2022. The reclassification was finalised and gazetted in November.

The change will enable a marine research and education facility to be built there. The council says the reclassified land made up around 6 per cent of Marine Park.

Pollett says the proportion of green space going is higher than this because a lot of the park is car parking and boat ramps.

The council didn't provide how much of the park was green space when asked, but the park is 10.7 hectares in total.

TCC chief financial officer Paul Davidson says: 'We know enhancing our natural environment is important to our communities so we will be creating additional green spaces when we redevelop our city centre and transform the Tauranga Moana waterfront.

'[The] plan is to transform the Tauranga Moana waterfront into a safe, parklike setting that will form a natural extension to the city centre, improve access to the water's edge, and be a place for people to spend time and enjoy.”

Pollett says he is not against education or the marine research facility just where it is going and the council's process.

'I felt that their [the council's] consultation was very hushed and rushed.

'In my view, they've completely misled the public about the impact, and they have certainly haven't gone out of their way to advertise it.”

The Ōtūmoetai resident says there was no signage at Marine Park or public meetings held about the reclassification.

An aerial view of the area that was reclassified. Image: Supplied/ Tauranga City Council.

The council ran public consultation on the reclassification from May 16, 2022 until June 20, 2022. Public hearings were then held on June 27.

Davidson says the reclassification proposal was promoted widely through local print media, radio, digital media, social media, as well as via direct emails to special interest groups.

There were 323 submissions with 65.9 per cent in support of the reclassification, 33.4 per cent were opposed and 0.6 per cent were neutral.

'Of those supporting the reclassification more than 90 per cent were strongly in support, and a substantial majority of younger people supported the proposal, which would bring numerous public benefits,” says Davidson.

'Of the submitters who opposed the proposal most were concerned about the loss of open recreational space.

'We're pleased to see this level of engagement and the balanced representation across our whole community in the submissions received.”

As a submitter, Pollett wanted to speak at the hearing but says he was given less than one working days' notice of the hearing so was unable to attend.

Davidson says council is unable to comment on this instance specifically, but the hearing date was advertised more than a month in advance.

It was publicised in all of the TCC communications including the website, public notice, overview document and on the submission form itself, he says.

Pollett claims the process council have taken to enable the marine research facility this time is underhanded.

This is the second attempt to enable the build, the council sought to revoke the reserve status in 2018 but it was blocked by then Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage in July 2020.

Under the Reserves Act, the power to change a reserve's classification rests with the Minister of Conservation, but the Minister has delegated that decision-making power to territorial authorities.

So, the decision to reclassify a reserve can be made by a council as the Minister's delegate.

Davidson says: 'Reclassifying the land maintains the protections under the Reserves Act 1977 and will not impact Tauranga City Council's ownership of the site”.

Pollett feels there are other places around the city the marine research facility could go.

'In my view there are plenty of other alternatives around the city that haven't been explored.”

Davidson says investigations into alternate sites were done.

'Marine Park was the only site available for development that was of adequate size and proximity to a deep-sea channel.”

The University of Waikato has expressed interest in building and running the facility.

University of Waikato senior deputy vice-chancellor Alister Jones. Photo: Supplied.

The university senior deputy vice-chancellor Alister Jones says: 'Many locations in and around the Bay of Plenty have been explored but Sulphur Point is by far the best option given its proximity to the water and easy public access.

'The proposed facility would increase tertiary education and research capabilities while creating local employment opportunities and flow-on benefits to other industries in Tauranga.

'The University has worked hard over many years with Tauranga City Council, iwi, community and local stakeholders to find a solution that is fit for the future and that will grow marine and coastal research, attract more students into science, educate the public and ultimately have a positive impact on our environment, including climate change.”

The next step is for the council to hold a tender process for the lease of the land, which will begin at the end of January.

Jones would not confirm if the university would put in a tender because it hadn't been made public yet.

Pollett hopes to attract many people to his event to create awareness about the reclassification and loss of green space.

The gathering is at 4pm on Sunday, January 22 at Marine Park.

'People if they care about that space and want to keep it, go down and enjoy it on that day.”

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