A $106,000, five hectare events centre planned for the TECT All Terrain Park has been given the go ahead by Western Bay of Plenty Council this week.

A five hectare events centre is planned for TECT All Terrain Park.

But the new facility will not be the usual version of a centre – in layman's terms it is a grassed paddock. 'At the moment, we don't have a convenient, flat, grassed area to accommodate events,” says TECT All Terrain Park operations manager Bill Wheeler. 'Build it and they will come, it's a bit like that really.”

The events can be anything – a car boot sales, a gymkhana, schools sports day, extra parking for events, says Bill. 'Or if the Motor Caravan Association want to hold a big rally [they can use it].”

Despite all the outdoor facilities – the four wheel drive tracks, the rifle and shooting ranges, the off road bike tracks – the one thing the park does not yet have is a grassy paddock, says Bill.

'It was something that was there in the plan, but hadn't yet floated to the surface as a priority job. We are now getting to the stage where that is becoming relevant because the groups are all getting underway with their stuff.

'Really, we need to be cracking on and developing an area – because it's not going to happen overnight. There are trees to fell, landscaping to do; and then we have to establish grass and establish all the infrastructure.

'It's going to take a while to happen, so we need to be ready when they are.

Bill says there's no AC/DC concert in the wings. 'There's nothing planned in terms of events – it's really to give us that facility.

'There are lots of good events spaces around but we need something that fits with the type of use that the park is designed for, a big motor sport event or those things that require a bit of space around them and not too many neighbours; then that's what it is there for.”

The space is going to be placed within the Te Matai Motorsport block, but near the park's central hub. Management of the events space will be co-ordinated with Te Matai Motorsports Inc, as the site sits within their wider lease area.

Work is expected to begin in the 2013/14 financial year.

From felling the trees, de-stumping the area, levelling and establishing grass, work will take about 18 months before the site will be suitable for use.

The committee's recommendation to go ahead with the events centre was adopted by the Western Bay council this week.