New i-Site for Coronation Park

Tauranga City Council is following through on discussions raised in January about rebuilding a Mount Maunganui i-Site adjacent to the north end of the Mount Maunganui wharf.

Cruise ship tourism is now worth about $40.5 million to the region and the passenger numbers disembarking at Mount Maunganui is expected to continue growing over the next five years.


Former Tourism Bay of Plenty CEO Rhys Arrowsmith outside the I-port at its 2013 opening. File photo.

The current I-port that marshals the cruise ship passengers, providing information about attractions available in the wider Bay of Plenty, and arranging connections with local operators, consists of two containers and a tent-like roof, and can only be used for about another year.

In draft annual plan discussions this week, councillors approved a budget of $100,000 for the project design and consents associated with the development of new visitor information facilities in Tauranga, with the preferred location at Salisbury Avenue/Coronation Park.

The development is funded from the commercial rate, not the residential rate.

The council also approved an increase to the targeted 'economic development' rate to provide an additional $150,000 for the provision of visitor services by Tourism Bay of Plenty, and it approved a one-year-only increase to the targeted 'economic development' rate to provide a budget of $150,000 for improvements to the I-port that services cruise ship passengers.

'It's entirely appropriate visitors are not greeted with a container and a piece of plastic but rather corral them through a visitor centre that shows all the best Tauranga has to offer before they go out to the free-lance tour operators who take them off to Rotorua,” says Councillor Steve Morris.

The plan is to build a new primary 'hub/gateway' i-Site on council-owned land at Salisbury Avenue in Coronation Park to service cruise ship customers and visitors arriving in larger vehicles, as well as the broader visitor and resident market in Mount Maunganui, and smaller 'satellite' i-sites at Phoenix Park (Maunganui Road) and in Tauranga City centre.

The capital costs of a new visitor information centre at Salisbury Avenue/Coronation Park are estimated to be in the region of $1m - $1.3m, with satellite i-sites at Phoenix Park and in Tauranga city centre adding a further $100k - $250k. Operational costs were estimated to be in the region of $800k - $1m per annum, with the potential to recover some of these costs through revenues.

Tourism Bay of Plenty's current operating costs to provide visitor services are $787k per annum.

Council funding and external revenues (including some of the funding from Western Bay District Council) currently provides $645k per annum, leaving a shortfall of $142k.

Tourism Bay of Plenty is requesting an increase in funding from council to cover that shortfall.

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45 comments

Great Decision

Posted on 27-05-2016 11:47 | By Pamaxx

An updated visitor centre on the Salisbury Ave site is well overdue and a further solid step in promoting Tauranga City as a visitor destination rather than port being an arrival/departure point. Businesses here still need to discard their nine to five opening hours mentality but this I'site is a positive step towards encouraging more tourists to stay and appreciate the attractions our city has to offer. Max Lewis, Mt Maunganui


Get Going

Posted on 27-05-2016 12:59 | By peecee09

Just do it. It is embarassing that visitors are welcomed by a couple of containers with an ugly cool store in the background. With the large income derived from cruise visitors it is a no brainer that we offer an upmarket tidy welcome to them. Let us design something smart which will leave a lasting impression. It would be the envy of all the other NZ Ports.


At Last

Posted on 27-05-2016 13:20 | By Jayleen Wood

Sanity prevails. After years of outcry and neglect it is good to hear that we will finally get our much-needed Mount i-Site back. Council should be very careful that Tourism BOP do not use this opportunity to further their own agenda, once again dividing the community and tourism businesses. This should be a place for everyone with free access for all and equal, fair tourism marketing opportunities for all. We should all remember that the ongoing dramas are due to Tourism BOP and their culture of ownership of cruise passengers and the FIT market. Otherwise - go for it.


Well said Jayleen

Posted on 27-05-2016 14:08 | By Stella535

Couldn


Ridiculous

Posted on 27-05-2016 14:55 | By Jitter

If BOP Tourism hadn't insisted on moving the origional Information Centre from Coronation Park, all that would be required now would be an expansion and updating of the origional premises. What a complete waste of time and money. Make BOP Tourism pay for the new centre out of their ratepayers subsidy.


Sorry Jayleen Wood

Posted on 27-05-2016 14:58 | By Murray.Guy

Sorry Jayleen, but your fears are to be intensified. We have an opportunity to do it once, do it right, I suggest with largely NO ratepayer dependency by developing an Information Centre and Cultural Arrival Centre directly outside the Port of Tauranga Cruise Ship Terminal in Coronation Park. This is NOT happening. To use $150,000 as a one off spend on the existing structure beggars belief, it has likely just one cruise ship season left. The satellite I-Site in Phoenix Park has to be a smoke and mirrors exercise, only 500 metres from the proposed main I-Site and no parking. I suspect this is an under the table method of building a new Mount Mainstreet Office. Not a great start for the new TBOP CEO, hardly visionary or 'best outcomes'. Where is that 'plastic Waka', now that does have 'real potential' as a cultural arrival centre!


Ok if Tourism BOP pays

Posted on 27-05-2016 15:42 | By Councillorwatch

Didn't Tourism BOP close the Mount I Site in the first place. They should be responsible for all costs and not be able to shift costs onto ratepayers.


Priorty

Posted on 27-05-2016 17:13 | By Taffy

Take the amount from the lights at Bay Oval and use it here atleast we will get more benefit.Where is the Port of Tauranga in this ,jeez the BOP Regional Council own 51% how about coming to the party!


STUFFED IT UP AGAIN

Posted on 27-05-2016 18:24 | By Colleen Spiro

Do it ONE MORE TIME.....do it RIGHT Build a Cultural Centre, so in a few years time, passengers will have no need to travel to Rotorua


what a joke

Posted on 27-05-2016 21:14 | By Capt_Kaveman

TBOP TCC just want a slice of the tour cake and making everyone park outside the gate annoying the crap out of pax as they walk by


enough already

Posted on 28-05-2016 07:33 | By babyG

The TBOP CEO has little say in anything as she is just a spokes person for the TBOP board. The board in turn answers to, and is controlled by TCC. TCC does not act on TBOPS lack of financial management, poor service delivery and even worse public and industry relations. So all things begin and end with TCC. TBOP should be forced (by TCC) to fund the new isite themselves with an easily repayable bank loan from their annual, ever increasing million dollar plus ratepayer grant. The constant free money add-ons and total lack of accountability has to stop. I


Lack of competition can restrict growth

Posted on 29-05-2016 10:53 | By Babs

TBOP are a charitable trust registered as The Western Bay of Plenty Tourism and Visitors Trust. They are a


Tauranga Unmemorable

Posted on 29-05-2016 11:34 | By BJ

My wife and I recently took a cruise on the Holland America Volendam. We obviously met travelers from all around the world, many of them had been cruising for years and most of them had been around NZ on cruise ships and everyone of them just loved NZ. What was interesting was that none of them remembered the Tauranga Port!!! Until we mentioned "where you would have got the tour bus to go to Rotorua"! Oh yes, that's what they remembered! Great job, TCC & TBOP! We were not surprised that they continue to underperform in giving visitors to Tauranga/Mt Maunganui a memorable time, instead they provide a bus stop for visitors to Rotorua. Is the TBOP committee incompetent? Our companies have helped develop tourism in the Bay for 20 years! What has TBOP achieved? Brian Felton


wasted time and opportunity!

Posted on 29-05-2016 13:22 | By JimmyUS

only now is Tauranga trying to break free from the mould of the old boys, old ways. This is why many of the cities long in power leaders are getting off the gravy train. Tauranga is 10 years behind where it should have been in tourism because of this. The entire domestic and international tourism sector should be operated by Tourism New Zealand and not regional tourism clicks that get to choose just how they implement their mandate. Jim Witherton


USELESS!

Posted on 29-05-2016 13:51 | By Bobby2

Hey Brian, where have you been? Have you not seen the cutting edge tourism developments in the form of the Pilot Bay boardwalk, Hairy dog statues and dance mat at the TGA waterfront? Oh yes and we recently painted the dustbin lids in the downtown area too. I


Wake Up

Posted on 29-05-2016 17:55 | By Skipper Jack

Step 1. TCC admit your and TBoP's failings. Put an end to the smoke and mirrors. Consult with the public and tourism industry and move forward with positive outcomes. TBoP has gobbled up millions of our dollars and we have absolutely nothing to show for it but discontent.


They continue to pretend that everything is great.

Posted on 29-05-2016 20:46 | By Tony Carson

All in our business are simply at a stage where we cannot believe anything that Council or Tourism Bay of Plenty propose in terms of I-Sites or the lack thereof! All these CCO groups band together in blissful compliance with each other.


@ Tony Carson

Posted on 30-05-2016 11:10 | By Crash test dummies

Yes indeed, they all yell and scream support for each other when actually they are nothing more than one in the same thing. The creation then appears to be support for the schemes. The truth of it is though that they all encourage each other to come up with more and more whacky schemes so as the ranks grow and expand exponentially.


@ Bobby2

Posted on 30-05-2016 11:13 | By Crash test dummies

Could not have put that better. The lot of ratepayers just gets worse every year and no sign of respite. It seems that Councilors have a switch fitted, that as soon as they get in there they all go into hypo-spending mode.


Tell TBOP to fund their own I-Shop

Posted on 30-05-2016 12:48 | By AndyCap

Our local offerings in terms of Tauranga attractions are at an all time low. The CBD is lost. COUNCIL and 3 organisations (TOURISMBAYOFPLENTY, DOWNTOWNTAURANGA and PRIORITY1) are SOLELY TO BLAME! Alas, the daily colourful downtown vibe, gift shops and variety of stores are mostly gone. Replaced by empty storefronts and two-dollar shops. The atmosphere is depressing except for the odd


@ AndyCap

Posted on 30-05-2016 17:25 | By Crash test dummies

So so true, sadly these official Muppets and TCC staff seem to think that all they touch turns to gold, mountains of it ... it seems no one has the heart to actually tell them that they alone are the cause, and that their demise is in fact the remedy. The truth is a long time coming. Perhaps when the CBD has died completely they will still be wondering why.


And now for our final illusion...

Posted on 31-05-2016 14:12 | By TAURANGA - love our lifestyle city

We have 3 cups and a ball. Now keep your eyes on the ball folks. Abracadabra, flash-of-light - Port of Tauranga come to the party with the perfect solution in a glossy, brand new co-funded I-Port facility on their own private property. Port of Tauranga is everyone


Make our city memorable.

Posted on 01-06-2016 12:59 | By Hospitality Owner

Tauranga City Council, Priority 1, Downtown Tauranga and Tourism Bay of Plenty are precisely the ones to blame for the CBD


Hospitality Owner is correct.

Posted on 01-06-2016 14:43 | By Babs

Big changes are required. We cannot give these same CCO's the next five or ten years to try and re-invent themselves and their methods that have not worked for so long. Many Tauranga businesses and investors are ready to build, expand, invest and spend up large, but feel disenfranchised by the prevailing status quo. Babs


@ Hospitality Owner

Posted on 02-06-2016 09:47 | By Crash test dummies

So true, they are merely protecting their own patch and never mind what it costs ratepayers as long the castle keeps getting bigger and more mushrooms appear all over the place then the Muppets will all be happier than yesterday. Sadly for ratepayers the bills just keep rolling in no stopping, no respite zip.


Came in late, but this needs to be said.

Posted on 02-06-2016 14:38 | By love our lifestyle city

The problem with TBOP is that they are positioning themselves as sales agents/competitors within the very marketplace they are entrusted to represent as an impartial, Regional Tourism Organisation. TBOP generates income from the sale of goods and services rendered. Sounds fine, but consider this: TBOP receives backing from central government, together with large council grants funded by ratepayers and local businesses. Many of these same business contributors are required to pay additional fees and substantial ongoing commission payments if they require TBOP


LOVE OUR LIFESTYLE CITY!!!

Posted on 02-06-2016 16:07 | By Angela (Mt Maunganui)

Go Mark. Go Tauranga Tourism! At last we have your input!!!!! Having on the ground connections your observations on TB0P and their info sites are smack on target. We love you, and we love our lifestyle city too. Genius!!!!! Not only do you say it like it is with tourism in Tauranga, but you are also one brave son of a gun taking on TBOP at their own game. We are with you all the way so keep pushin


Unchartered territory

Posted on 02-06-2016 18:18 | By babyG

"Love our lifestyle city - Tauranga Tourism" Very bold


As they say..... only in Tauranga

Posted on 02-06-2016 19:07 | By AndyCap

Love our lifestyle city is a 10+ perfect fit for Tauranga. It,s about time we had our own catchy, addictive tag rather than sharing the ambiguous and boring Plenty for Everyone, and unique for none, label with every other town and tourist centre in the Bay. This won


TBOP purpose

Posted on 03-06-2016 11:19 | By Crash test dummies

The idea at the start was to encourage tourists to the area so help the Tourist-industry (private-enterprise) into Tauranga area. This to get some of the volume out of Rotorua, share in the spoils. In end result TBOP has achieved nothing of these aims, the truth is that have simply created a monopoly, latched themselves on to it to the exclusion of all others. That monopoly is now strangling the tourist numbers in Tauranga as no one can get to the passengers on the wharf except by paying-off TBOP, they actually add no value to anything, seek only to grow there own massive scale mess on a self interest basis. Add to that, Cruise ship industry is very seasonal, TBOP actually have nothing at all today from May-October annually, yet ratepayers seem still to be paid mega dollars in salaries?


Outwitted by Tauranga Tourism

Posted on 04-06-2016 09:20 | By Jayleen Wood

Tourism BOP has certainly been found asleep at the wheel. No vision and no foresight as usual. How foolish not to have tied up the Tauranga Tourism name. These overpaid, arrogant smarty pants have been outwitted by one of their own kind with a tagline which makes me smile, as Tauranga is very much the lifestyle city of NZ with the best weather, beaches and outdoor activities. If Tourism BOP are permitted by council to set themselves up as a none profit charity type travel agency basically selling their services and stamp of approval, why not have a private enterprise start up as a marketing business! It


@ Jayleen Wood

Posted on 04-06-2016 13:13 | By Crash test dummies

Love that little rant, all perfectly correct except the last part, TBOP as a Council funded waste of space have no idea what a profit is, they only know how to spend money, lose money and then make it grow.


Monopolies and leeches

Posted on 04-06-2016 16:35 | By Crash test dummies

All that TBOP has achieved is to be a blood sucking leech on the Tauranga fledgling industry and instead of being there simply to assist that to grow they have instead latched on and sucked the life blood from the new born trade and industry here, The result is that it struggles to survive and as we see all the tourists pass through from the port to Rotorua, TBOP has its cut of the price tag and then contributes nothing more from then onward. If anything it just aids in the strangulation of what ever is left. It all reads like a horror story from start to finish.


No cash for I-Ports

Posted on 05-06-2016 11:30 | By Skipper Jack

Not one dollar more for I-Ports, and a big NO to any future cash cow type I-Port setup run by TBoP, the POT or private business.Yes to publicly accessible I-Sites with user-friendly information displays and friendly on hand information assistants to tell visitors about Tauranga not Rotorua and the rest of Bay of Plenty.We should sell our own city and support all tourism businessses fairly.This is tourism 1 on 1 the current situation at the harbour is crazy!Who would want to start up a tourism business if you know you are going to have to basically buy the right to operate and advertise from the council operated TBoP offfice?


it's pretty simple really

Posted on 05-06-2016 12:21 | By Bobby2

TBOP are working against the general interest of growing the tourism effort when they do all this i-Port stuff. They are a funded organisation that do not need to clip the ticket again and again. Next thing you know, they will be running their own tours, transfers and accommodation parks like council and the Mount holiday park, hot pools etc. Privateers will not invest in Tauranga if they have to compete with TCC owned businesses. Its pretty obvious stuff that the Mount i-Sites closure was a deliberate act to justify the i-Port, and now they are talking about anything up to three i-Sites in the Mount area, one at the port, one at Coronation Park and another at the Phoenix Park upgrade. Must be a really good business with heaps of money flowing in. I remember a time when Arrowsmith compared our Mount i-Site to


We reflect badly as a port destination

Posted on 06-06-2016 14:37 | By Hine Tauranga

Tauranga


Dissapointment on 2nd visit to Tauranga Port

Posted on 07-06-2016 01:36 | By REDRod

My parents where also dissapointed at the Tauranga Port when they visited us in February this year. On their first cruise visit back in 2009 they rented a racey exotic sports car at Pilot Bay and drove down to meet us in Ohope. They had planned to repeat this experience, only to find that there was no such rentals available anymore. Nobody in the information tent knew anything, and it was only when questioning some of the tour guides outside in the car park they were told in general terms that this car rental business had been pushed out with strongarm bye laws enforced by the powers that be. Together with visiting us, this was to be the highlight of their Tauranga stop over. What is so unworkable that cruise ship visitors are no longer able to rent these exotic cars for self drive purposes? Rod - Whakatane


In full support of the tourism trade!

Posted on 07-06-2016 12:58 | By alleycat9

We only need one decent professional i-site in Salisbury Avenue, run and maintained by the existing multiple subsidies provided by councils rates raised. Otherwise do away with rates contributions, subsidies and extra bailouts given by the council. Bay of Plenty Tourism cannot have things both ways!!! Their job is to contribute towards the promotion and success of the regions tourism trade, not create additional barriers to regulate and govern as the officially sanctioned middle man arranging connections and bookings for what is effectively cost increasing kickbacks and handling fees. What connections!!! All the connections are already there and always have been, albeit nowadays behind controlled gates and fences. These bossy *#!#* are taxing the tourism trade, continuing making rules and regulations to make things difficult for everyone with the blessing of the Tauranga City Council.


Hine Tauranga

Posted on 07-06-2016 15:27 | By Kenworthlogger

The port is owned mostly by Tauranga District council so no wonder its a total Cluster ****. Where ever council is involved there is caos.


For REDRod

Posted on 09-06-2016 08:43 | By JimmyUS

The sports car rentals at Pilot Bay closed up a while back, as no provision was made and no allowance given for the owner operator to display the cars at Pilot Bay on cruise ship days. The handful of parking bays required for a few hours per day was too greater task for the top brass to solve. One would have expected that between the local council, Tourism Bay of Plenty and Port of Tauranga, something would have been sorted. A great pity as having the opportunity to rent an open top Porsche sports car and cruise around the Bay was something really special for lots of cruise ship passengers.


What about free enterprise and fairness for all?

Posted on 10-06-2016 13:23 | By Joan T

I'm appalled to learn that tourism businesses are having to pay the council controlled tourism office for 'connections' to visitors coming in on cruise ships. Who gets to choose which companies are given the business? This is a monopoly working against free enterprise , freedom of choice and fair competition, which must drastically increase costs to visitors to Tauranga as tourism businesses are having to include and pass on the commission component paid to the councils tourism office. The original Mount tourism information office should never have been closed in the first place. It will be a least another two years before anything is actually done.


RIDICULOUS EXTRAVAGANCE

Posted on 10-06-2016 14:57 | By ROCCO

Someone is joking with this shafting of TCC ratepayers just get the people who benefit financially if at all to pick up the tab or rack off.$100000 investigative seed money is obscenely deplorable. LOL


@ ROCCO

Posted on 15-06-2016 10:16 | By Crash test dummies

Can only agree on that, these is simply a trough feeding exercise of those involved seeking to continue that feasting all at the expense of others.


The

Posted on 15-06-2016 22:03 | By Capt_Kaveman

current setup is a shambles, i wonder what it will take to break that golden handshake between POT/TBOP/TCC and their elite group of tour operators that have to pay a cut, pax were always there, the touting outside the gate is disgusting, i know i was there since 1996


Summary

Posted on 20-06-2016 09:52 | By Crash test dummies

Looks like the vast majority of bloggers have been able to figure the setup at POT for TBOP, a monopoly, selective to Tour operators and clip the ticket operatives. There is nothing nice about this and nothing to add value to BOP tourism. The truth of it Is that they have themselves ensconced at the gate of POT and have locked out any genuine operator/competition.


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