A $300,000 playground for Tauranga's waterfront is part of a proposal approved by Tauranga City Councillors to go out for public submission.
The playground, to be built opposite Wharf Street, is part of the council's $4.9 million plan for the waterfront, approved during this week's Ten Year Plan deliberations.
A picture of the proposed playground.
The playground, along with a boardwalk through to Pilot Bay, and the upgrade of Greerton Library, are plans going out for public consultation in 2012.
Tauranga City Council is also applying for resource consent to install 10 portable buildings of 18sqm to cluster around the Edgewater Fan.
Priority One city centre manager Duarne Lankshear says the portable buildings are an opportunity for the tourism, hospitality and recreation industries to provide commercial activities in various areas of the waterfront.
'They can be used by food and hospitality sectors, for tourism type operations like jet boat tours and water taxis, and a place for events and activity.”
Duarne says these portable buildings will be purchased by private businesses and put on land leased from council.
The capital cost of the buildings will be in the $20,000-50,000 range with a forecast rental of $2000-10,000 a year, per building.
Duarne says the revenue generated from these businesses will grow as the area attracts more foot traffic, becoming a vibrant waterfront destination.
'By approving this plan it is a vote of confidence, it sends a strong signal out to the investment sector that the waterfront development is underway and will continue to be supported by council.”
A design of the proposed waterfront development.
Priority One has worked with the council's waterfront taskforce to activate $640,000 of consented works in the waterfront master plan.
These works include a walkway from Dive Crescent to the Glass Box and creating a big green space between Wharf Street and Spring Street.
In addition, the council is providing budget in its Ten Year Plan for an iconic waterfront playground and make available a piece of land adjacent to it for a cafe.
24 comments
How Stupid
Posted on 30-11-2011 14:33 | By Donnaw
Wow someone really had their thinking caps on when they thought of this idea! Wonder if they thought about the fact that now parents can sit accross the road and get boozed up at the pubs while their kids are out of the way, over the road at the playground....oh....then load them up in the car and drive home....im not saying all will....but some will. Hopefully they are installing lights so as it gets dark the kiddies can still see....money well spent....i dont think so....."Accident waiting to happen" if you ask me...but hey...guess thats why these decision makers get paid the big bucks aye!
Congratulations
Posted on 30-11-2011 15:20 | By tabatha
To all but the three councillors who voted against it thanks for spending more of my money at time when the council is heavy in debt. If the money is coming from a hidden source it should be rechanelled into areas where spending is needed. The next person who says remove the train line get real, it was and is part of Tauranga's heritage the same as the line in the middle of the road at Kawakawa in the North. Yes Tauranga needs to keep up to date but not with some of the thinking from city fathers. Murray Guy I feel your idea of money for a referendum should have been approved so the people of the city can say yes or no to this. If there were an over whelming number saying yes I would accept the development. How many of the Councillors who voted yes spoke to the average Joe Bloggs on their thoughts or even read what people were saying in Newspapers. All I can hope is that resource consent for some of the extras is not granted. Please TCC think again or check out with a public opinion poll. You have the ability to contact ratepayers see what they want, after all they elected you to work on their behave on the lines of thinking they want. Please forget about building empires for your selves and try to say I agreed to that.
I vote for all or nothing job...
Posted on 30-11-2011 15:30 | By wreck1080
A series of patchwork enhancements is not my idea of value for money. Instead, spend 50 million and do it properly.
Why why why
Posted on 30-11-2011 15:30 | By My Bit
Why are there so many negative people who write comments in here Just get a life and let us and our kids use the waterfront it will be a lot bloody better than a glass filled carpark
Yup its a winner
Posted on 30-11-2011 16:05 | By Tony
Trains,Cars,Bars Water and Homeless people .....YUP Perfect place for a Kiddies play ground.
Just a thought
Posted on 30-11-2011 17:35 | By nerak
Why don't all the ratepayers who are gobsmacked by this email the council?
KIWICAM
Posted on 30-11-2011 18:19 | By BOP#1
A true waste of $$$
@ jeff and cohorts
Posted on 30-11-2011 19:40 | By SpeakUp
If YOU want a playground why don't YOU and your ilk not form a citizens' initiative and build one YOURSELF with YOUR own money. Maybe collect donations from the obscenely overpaid council management and CREATE instead of EXTORT. Or, alternatively learn about exponential functions to get a drift of the interest dynamic of HALF A BILLION DEBT spending of TCC. In fact, I envisage a shovel-swinging waterfront chain-gang, made up of council big-shots and their P1 accomplices, Stuart Crosby at the front shackled to his deputy David Stuart, chanting a chain-gang song: "I shalt not make debt slaves out of me people, uh ohooo ohooo..."
What a waste!!!
Posted on 30-11-2011 20:16 | By STRAITAS
Wats with this Council we already have a Kids Playground, "MEMORIAL PARK" us rate payers wouldn't need to spend all that money to give Humpty Dumpty a Botix and a makeover, could allocate that cash on fixing the sewer pipe up Windermere Way it stinks
AWESOME!!!
Posted on 01-12-2011 10:01 | By misslms
I 100% support the plans for the waterfront.. Finally Tauranga might get some kind of tourist activity and have a reason for people to come here.
YOU DON'T KNOW ALL THAT THEY SEEK TO DO
Posted on 01-12-2011 23:25 | By MASSA KISSED
@ Missims, they are looking to spend between $20-30m that means of course it will certainly be more than $30m. Looks to me like that are rolling it out in bits and bobs at a time and trying to pretend that is os all wonderful and lovely and nice and sweet ... You would have to be a fool to look at this and call it anything other than what it really is. "More spending means more debt means higher rates!"
Junk on the Waterfront
Posted on 02-12-2011 11:37 | By Accountable
Is Duarne Lanksheer a salesperson for Mr Scapens junk? With the barge and now old containers proposed for the area it will look like a scrap yard.Much better looking at old cars that are at least of benefit to the CBD.The Councillors should talk to the business's in the CBD instead of listening to Mainstreet or Priority one who are both holding hands.
HOLDING SOMETHING?
Posted on 02-12-2011 14:38 | By PLONKER
Not sure about the hands but they are not capable of doing what they are meant to be doing nevermind something beneficial to others and in particular the CBD. There will be more losses here for sure and that will for sure include Scrapin the bottom of the barrel, only afterwards yet again will they realise the error and folly of their ways and the usual end result will be another financially fumbled disaster added to the rates bills of every citizen without choice yet again. Then the PR machine will kick in and sadly they will again read their own press and think that all is wonderful again. However the truth is something else yet to be seen.
$300,000 PLAYGROUND
Posted on 02-12-2011 14:40 | By YOGI
So that obviously means that the Council Chambers are to be renovated, when does that start yet again ... Does it include NEURO surgery?
WORSE THAT STUPID
Posted on 03-12-2011 12:44 | By MISS ADVENTURE
To have TCC, Mainstreet (funded by TCC) and Priority One (funded by TCC and other Councils) join up and let loose at the Strand will be a mess of GARGANTUAN proportions. Examples are rife, but just take one simple question, what actually has PriorityOne achieved of its stated objectives? There is not one single industry of significance that has started in Tauranga since it started nevermind as a result of Priorityones actions!
YEAH YOGI
Posted on 03-12-2011 17:03 | By WOMBLE
They get free picnic baskets to, with free beers in the Councillors lounge also free lunches all on the ratepayers to at the Cafe below on a "I WANT" basis.
WHAT TOYS DO COUNCILLORS LIKE??
Posted on 04-12-2011 17:43 | By YOGI BEAR
The favourite over the years has been everyone else's cheque book where without rhime or reason it has been a free for all.
Hmmm
Posted on 05-12-2011 23:00 | By kiwisan
Somewhere for the pissed teens to spew and releive themselves on. An extremely expensive toilet. Would you want your kids playing on that Sunday morning. Stupid idea stupid place.Really Rethink this!!!!
pull ya head in
Posted on 06-12-2011 19:11 | By Capt_Kaveman
TCC, the water front can stay how it is, because its not thier $ spend they will
You fogot us
Posted on 08-12-2011 05:50 | By dave4u
Seniors need a playground too we are the rate payers not the kids we take the kids there so what about one for us next to the kids one or just revamp 6th ave playground to include a mums,dads,& seniors play ground we are all kids at heart.
Parks in town
Posted on 11-12-2011 09:56 | By Colleen Spiro
Is the idea to drop the kids off at the park and leave them whilst the parents go shopping?? There are parks in every suburb in Tauranga...(usually 2 or 3)...AND they want to build a PARK in town. Council are talking about taking the LIBRARY BUS away from the children and elderly of Tauranga. The elderly have paid rates for yonks and the kids will never be able to if you guys carry on like you are, because Tauranga will not be affordable to live in.
Great Idea!
Posted on 15-12-2011 20:50 | By sue.nicholas
I challenge all the doubters to visit the Wynyard Quarter in Auckland to see how this project could work for Tauranga. Why are people in this City so negative all the time with so many pushing their own barrows, and why do so many elderly think the City owes them something! Lighten up and broaden your horizons to consider that this plan might actually bring some joy to others! Lets be dragged 'kicking and screaming' into the 21st Century.
mummy1
Posted on 20-12-2011 07:33 | By mummy1
i got spat on yesterday in town by a homeless scumbag!!ya think im taking my kids into town for some abuse.tidy the town up in otherways and people might venture out.
Sue sums it up perfectly
Posted on 06-01-2012 19:53 | By The Tomahawk Kid
Sue.nicholas sums up the situation perfectly! "lets be dragged kicking and screaming" into the 21st century! She doesnt wish to get their voluntarilly of her own accord with likeminded people - no, She wants people to be FORCED into doing things she thinks is a good idea. She is opposed to people making their own choices of how to spend their money - she wants council to stand behind ratepayers with a gun and bully them into paying for things them may not wish to do. She believes in the use of FORCE to get things done - not mutual consent - not community spirit, but plain old threats and force (try not paying your rates and see the threats come flooding in!) This kind of attitude has become the norm these days - and its sickening to witness the immoral behaviour of a once proud nation of people come to this. Everybody wants a say in what others do with their own money and property. I can almost hear her wingeing about paying for some of the things she doesnt happen to agree with
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