Members of a local playcentre looking to relocate have welcomed Tauranga City Council's decision to lease a potential future site to Zespri NZ.

The temporary office space in Miro Street has been leased to the kiwifruit marketers for the next two years, meaning the location could become available in the not-too-distant future.

Mount Playcentre members Nikki Dodd, Sarah Meadows, Rita Tustin and helpers.

And that could be some consolation for the Mount Playcentre, who were strongly opposed to the proposal to lease the land which they view as one of the few viable sites for their new premises.

Their own lease beside the rugby club at Blake Park has been in place for 40 years, and expires in 2019.

Members' submissions originally criticised the council for handing over a piece of land that featured in a 2012 council survey of possible sites for another kindergarten.

Playcentre member Ali Teo says the centre has been in discussions with the council for the last seven years over relocating, and wants to know if the land will be available once Zespri's lease expires.

She says: 'Members of this centre have worked tirelessly and voluntarily for years to try and ensure that this valuable community facility will have a suitable place to relocate to.

'It's disheartening to repeatedly be potentially offered land and then find ourselves back to square one when the goalposts are moved yet again.

'Most importantly if this land is no longer to be available to the centre as previously proposed, then please give us a solid idea of what realistic alternatives we might have.”

Co-president president Rita Tustin spoke to her submission at this week's council meeting, and insists questions from councillors have given her a different view.

'It was probably really positive,” says Rita. 'The councillor said ‘what can we do to help you?'

'I think the realisation is now we have had a professional resource planner helping us, they've identified all the potential sites in the Mount area and come to the realisation there's only really three sites that are suitable.

"Where we are at the moment, the land next to Zespri, and another place in Blake Park next to the sport hall and the netball courts.

'Over the years I think we've had a tendency to be more passive in the hope we would get somewhere. Now we need to be more vocal and this is the start of that because they are the ones who will ultimately make the decision.”

Blake Park is their preferred location but the plan written up about 10 years ago requires the 40-year-old playcentre to move.