Cr Steve Morris suggested in a brief article last week that Tauranga ratepayers ‘think' about relinquishing the Tauranga Race Course for a large scale housing development.

Late last year the Mayor suggested the same thing to me and, as a member of Racing Tauranga, this comment did make me think.

For housing developers the race course is low hanging fruit and a very attractive proposition.
The facts are that the ‘Tauranga Recreational Reserve' (including the race course) is just that and regardless of whether the horse racing industry survives in New Zealand or not, the course will not be moved.

The recreational reserve, which is governed by statute, should be protected for public use in perpetuity. We know the potential here and the land was originally vested to the people of Tauranga, for this purpose.

Developers are certainly in the ear of our Mayor, but the people of Tauranga can prevail over this part of the proposed Spatial Plan, if they choose to.

At the same time, citizens could remind our council of the decades of vision-less management and deplorable planning that has left the community unable to afford to pave the way for sensible development anywhere within our city boundaries.

In my opinion, the race course is off-limits. The council needs to figure out and prove to us all, how they plan to solve the chronic access problem within our city. Without this clarified how can any new rules to facilitate infill subdivision, high rise or anything else, be considered rational?

Going down the track in this way will only further complicate the lifestyle of an already overcrowded Tauranga precinct, and all for the sake of a few developers looking for a short term fix.'

Doug Owens, Tauranga