Welcome Bay residents are putting in a bid to establish an indoor sports centre at Owens Park.
Residents are this weekend invited to contribute ideas to the organising committee that will be taking the mandate to Tauranga City Council.
Welcome Bay Community Centre member Paul Pou at Owens Park. Photo: Tracy Hardy.
Welcome Bay Community Centre member Paul Pou says while Waipuna Park successfully caters to outdoor sports, the absence of an indoor centre is drastically holding the community back.
'I think it's got the ability to transform the whole community in Welcome Bay to be honest,” says Paul, who believes an indoor facility will benefit the suburb a social and sporting level.
Many Welcome Bay families and children are missing out on a range of indoor sports because it's not financially viable to travel to other Tauranga suburbs, says Paul.
'There are so many young kids walking around streets in that area that can't afford to go outside the region out of Welcome Bay itself.
'It [the indoor centre] is really to fill a void for them, so they have a sense of purpose after school hours and in school holidays.”
The centre is deemed high priority and a perfect starting point would be establishing the centre at Owens Park, once home to the Welcome Bay Marlins rugby league side.
Paul says the organising committee will need to discuss the idea with TCC and is positive it lobby the council to look favourably on the development.
'That seems like a prime piece of real estate to develop that community around that particular area.
'I think that sport has a way of rallying the community together, so we need to lobby to council for the need of an indoor centre in Welcome Bay.”
This is very much a first step in development planning and costings are yet to be investigated.
The public meeting is at Welcome Bay Community Centre this Sunday at 12.45pm. For more information, call Paul on 027 654 6545.
9 comments
Yeah, council has heaps of money for these things??
Posted on 01-08-2014 11:47 | By Annalist
Is this on top of the proposed Merivale community centre expansion, the proposed Greerton community centre, and the Greerton library empire? About time councillors took a firm line and said No from the outset. They were elected I think to restrain expenditure and repay debt.
Nice Try Guys
Posted on 01-08-2014 12:16 | By ROCCO
But....If you are contributing and raising all the dosh yourselves no problem go for it - but gravy training on TCC ratepayers is not a goer.Olympic sized stadium should be and is no doubt your target.LOL
Overit
Posted on 01-08-2014 12:22 | By overit
Its a very wet area there in Winter. Even the tractor that mows it leaves patches.Whats wrong with the one up Kaitemako Rd?
suspend
Posted on 01-08-2014 13:44 | By Sambo Returns
why cannot Council suspend all of these projects, and hold rates at a sustainable level, repay debt, and build a DECENT infrastructure for maybe 5 x years (joke)?, then re visit them, when will most realise that you can not have your cake and eat it too, the cake is pretty stale anyway....., If lived in Welcome Bay I would want a decent roading system before an indoor sporting facility.
Unbelievable
Posted on 01-08-2014 14:25 | By Jitter
If there is ever to be an indoor sports centre built it should be in the centre of Tauranga. If that's what they want in Welcome Bay then I hope the Welcome Bay residents are prepared to pay for it. Or how about local "Maori" from their treaty settlement funds. Let's see them put something back into the community that will benefit everyone and not just the few of "our people".
Supermarket
Posted on 01-08-2014 14:53 | By Toots
I think before there is a sports centre in Welcome Bay, there needs to be a supermarket first!
Solutions
Posted on 01-08-2014 15:50 | By Paddle
Wow. 5 negative comments so far and mostly irrelevant. Why make sweeping assumptions about where the money is coming from? Why make sweeping assumptions about who is going to use it or what size is being proposed? Why bring up irrelevant issues (Welcome Bay's Roading really isn't that bad any more) and why not read the article fully before commenting (the Waipuna Park facility up Kaitemako Rd is unsuitable). Well done Paul for kick-starting this. Yes, if Council funding is needed, it will have to go up against a number of other projects, but don't let that stop you. How about everyone else at least try on their yellow thinking hat before commenting. For a community of its size, Welcome Bay is under-resourced and would benefit from such a facility, as have so many other parts of our city. Look for solutions to make it happen!
NEGATIVES
Posted on 03-08-2014 13:37 | By Colleen Spiro
I have lived in Welcome Bay for over 30 years and in that time, nothing much has changed...You might name all the other things that are happening in other areas.....well guess what, PART of that money should have been set aside for Welcome Bay. We have 17% of the population living and paying rates in the surrounding areas. SHARE the tax dolllar AROUND.
Awesome
Posted on 05-08-2014 16:42 | By geoff689
Good on you Paul for putting forward a voice for the youth of Welcome Bay. As you've said it's at the start of the process so let's give support rather than make assumptions. In the longer term this could save rates / taxes because as has been proven time and again "kids in sport stay out of court".
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