Support for $600K turf proposal

A Tauranga City councillor is voting in support of a proposal to provide $600,000 towards a new artificial turf for the Tauranga Hockey Centre.

Steve Morris believes the new turf is more beneficial than a proposal to build a multi-million dollar rugby stadium at Tauranga Domain.


The Tauranga Hockey Centre wants to get another turf.

Paul Adams' civic Amenities Group wants the council to spend $25 million on a new stadium.

Steve says if the council went with the stadium proposal, there would be no community funding of any other sport in the city for 10 years.

Netball, basketball, cricket, hockey, soccer, and the indoor sports would have nothing.

The Tauranga Hockey Association request illustrates a predicament for the city, says Steve.

'Do we fund the growth for facilities required for all sporting codes across the city, or do we freeze all funding for 10 years, and spend $25m of ratepayer's money on stadium at The Domain for an extra Steamer's game.

'That's the reality. It's not just professional rugby in this town. We have only so much money to spend. Developers of course won't let us collect development contributions for stadiums. They want the ratepayers to fund it,” says Steve.

'So that's another issue. I'm looking forward to the Sport Bay of Plenty spaces and places review coming out in June 2016. It will enable a really good decisions in 17/18.”

Steve says he is really worried about the predicament this city could find itself in very quickly.

'At the end of the day there's only so much money to go around and it's all ratepayer's money.”

Figures presented to the council show the THA has seen 17 per cent growth in registered players in the last five years and in 2015 there were 2495 registered players in the sub-region. Tauranga hockey participation is growing faster than population growth.

In 2015, THA had 2495 registered players or 925 players per turf.

NZ Hockey guidelines are for a maximum of 850 players per turf.

The THA has seen significant growth in primary school aged community hockey, and this growth is now progressed into secondary school aged community hockey.

Currently 7.5 per cent of Tauranga's 5-15 year olds are registered hockey players.

An additional 2000 players also use the network each year for training, tournaments and events.

This includes use by tournaments such as AIM'S Games and events such as International Hockey - NZ Black Sticks vs Korea and Japan in 2014.

The facility is also used for non-hockey users including BOP Rugby training and WaiBOP Football training and socials summer football.

The THA is wants the council to lead the investment by contributing $600,000, or a maximum of 25 per cent of the project budget, in 2017/18 towards the development of facilities at Blake Park to meet existing demand as well as provide sub-regional network capacity until 2022.

The intention is to borrow the money and pay back through rates. Repayments are expect to be about $57,000 a year, over eight years

About 80 per cent of registered players are Tauranga residents and 20 per cent are from the Western Bay of Plenty District.

You may also like....

12 comments

Well Put Steve

Posted on 03-02-2016 11:11 | By tabatha

The amount that would be spent for hockey would benefit far more of the citizens of TCC and WBOP then the domain. Yes people would possibly watch a game, but how many people would benefit from the real game, 80 minutes plus sitting where as how would the turn over be at the hockey area?


The turf

Posted on 03-02-2016 11:52 | By surfsup

Good on Mr Morris for showing a wonderful degree of logic regarding the $600.000 request for a new turf. As previously mentioned if 7.5% of 5-15 years old are registered hockey players then 92.5% are not, coupled with the $200.00 the council has already spent at the turf and the $800.000 that TECT put in would have taken a large chunk out of available money for other sports. Therefore surely with the increase in registered players and the predicted growth it should not be difficult for the assoc to either 1 increase fees, 2 seek private funding 3 go to the bank.Either way if the council pumps any more money into the turf other sports will miss out which surely contradicts Mr Morris, and his desire to see all sports treated equally. Lets get the nose out of the trough.


CAG out of touch.

Posted on 03-02-2016 13:08 | By dgk

Good point Cr Morris, and thanks for revealing the details that CAG seem to be hiding from ratepayers.


Why does so much SPort

Posted on 03-02-2016 14:08 | By Watchdog

have to be paid for out of Rates!!!


@ Watchdog

Posted on 03-02-2016 15:02 | By Crash test dummies

That is because (in the case of Hockey) they have not put aside a penny in the last 20 years or so towards anything except the holiday/travel fund. So cap in had to TCC ratepayers we go ...


narrow minded

Posted on 03-02-2016 15:29 | By LovinSummer

I think Steve is very narrow minded if he believes the only use for a stadium is rugby. It could also be used for concerts and other events, (even during the Jazz festival), which would benefit a wide range of people (ratepayers)!!


Hockey's already had plenty rates $$$$

Posted on 03-02-2016 16:10 | By Annalist

My memory is that over the years ratepayers have funded hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, of things for hockey. So here we go again. Steve Morris's argument is weak I think. Just more councillors spending more rates money on favoured sports perhaps?


nope

Posted on 03-02-2016 16:28 | By rotovend

seriously does Tauranga Council not realise its in debt and that its NOT an entrepreneur or sports promotional company. Some things should be covered by fundraising fees and investors. Also dont build a stadium work out a park and bus system to Rotorua and Hamilton to use their facilities when big events are on. Its crazy to build what we dont need and just get into more debt


Ok then...

Posted on 03-02-2016 18:58 | By Jimmy Ehu

Mr Morris show me a basic business plan that outlines a projected income over the next 10 years, outline maintainence expediture and wages, show me as a shareholder how my investment is going to be at least achieve a "break even" point, the same principal applies for those asking for Council funding for lights at Blake Park, I pay for my particular sporting participation through a membership subscription, hockey members need to as well!!, ratepayers have already made a substantial contribution to your sport, you want something better, you raise the funds, user pays, or are there not enough "users"?.


Why can't

Posted on 03-02-2016 21:46 | By nerak

the members of CAG stump up with the 25 mil if they're so keen? I'm quite sure some of them wouldn't miss the odd mil or ten. No to ratepayers funding for the few.


Sorry , but has not Hockey

Posted on 03-02-2016 22:38 | By The Caveman

Had a few MILLION over the past few years. About time that the council started to look at some of the other "second level" sports in the city that could do with a $100,00 or so, and NOT put $600,000 into ONE sport.


Why do they pay Hockey NZ?

Posted on 04-02-2016 10:28 | By Annalist

Seems to me on further investigation that hockey players pay levies to Hockey NZ? What do they get for that, fancy words and office staff and a CEO? Perhaps the local hockey assn should put more of that money towards these new facilities rather than pillaging the poor old ratepayer again???


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.