Attn: Tauranga City Council: I strongly believe that the future use of the Wharepai Domain should be viewed through a 50-year lens, not the 10-year cycle currently under consideration.
In case no one has noticed, during the last four decades Tauranga/Mount Maunganui/Pāpāmoa has morphed into a major city and the present use of the domain has outlived its original intent.
The existing sports facilities cater to a relatively small number of local patrons and the associated activities create a major disruption to traffic flow.
Cameron Road has become an important arterial route and traffic management, together with associated parking problems, and this will undoubtedly get worse over time.
I believe the Commission’s view is short-sighted thinking around what is essentially a long-term problem.
In my opinion the whole area should be designated a future civic development zone, catering to the establishment of community facilities such as an interactive type museum/art gallery or possibly an events centre.
The present sports facilities could be relocated, over time, to the green space presently occupied by the racecourse. That would allow the establishment of a ‘proper’ stadium together with an integrated sports hub to cater for other sporting activities. Tauranga City is no longer a village – and, as an economic entity, we should be encouraging the development of the CBD to appeal to a wider range of local visitors, as well as international tourists.
Rob Thompson, Tauranga City.