The project to bring the tupper waka to The Strand has foundered because of a lack of a suitable venue, city councillors have been told.

The project has been withdrawn after the consenting process failed to find a suitable location on the Tauranga Waterfront.

Talks to bring the tupa waka to Tauranga waterfront have stalled.

The Steering Group investigating the feasibility of bringing the waka to Tauranga as a culture, technology and innovation pavilion for the city centre broke the news to councillors recently.

The business case shows the initiative would be a viable option for the city, but the lack of a suitable site means there is little alternative but to cease further work on the project, says Tuscany director Sally Cooke.

The steering group initially looked at positioning the waka on The Strand reclamation northern carpark.

Benefits included the potential to increase spending in the central city and support local businesses, while providing an iconic venue to tell the story of Tauranga and showcase the desirability of the region for business location and investment.

The challenges of The Strand location were highlighted in the formal consultation process, says Sally.

A pier was considered as an alternative option but the costs proved too high.

'The business case completed for the project by O'Connor Sinclair demonstrated real demand in the city for a cultural showcase centre that would host exhibitions and displays that tell the story of Tauranga,” says Sally.

'As a consequence a recommendation was made to elected members by the Steering Group that consideration be given to exploring other venues or locations for a cultural and innovation centre in the city centre.”

'We took a pragmatic approach to this initiative, we explored it and while it had solid potential and could have contributed to city centre revitalisation, a viable location in the city centre could not be located.”

The idea to put the Waka Maori on the waterfront arose from discussions about where to put the highly successful Pukehinahina Battle of Gate Pa exhibition after its season at the Greerton Village Hall.