Fresh concerns surrounding the future of Tauranga Racecourse have surfaced amid accusations that the Cameron Road venue is being fast-tracked for a new housing development.

The controversial plan originally surfaced in 2019, when course operators Racing Tauranga were approached by then Minister for Racing, Winston Peters, with an option to relocate from Greerton to an alternative part of the region.

Despite any official progress regarding the acquisition of the 34 hectare site, the scarcity of city land fit for development saw the site name-checked in Tauranga City Council's Te Papa Spatial Plan – a 72-page document released last September that outlines the 'strategic direction” needed to manage growth from Barkes Corner to the harbourside bridge.

The Crown-owned Racecourse Reserve, which also incorporates an adjacent 18-hole championship golf course, is listed as a 'key project” in the plan, with possible future uses including 'opportunities for other uses such as comprehensively-developed housing”.

One concerned voice is that of former Bay of Plenty Regional Council councillor Doug Owens, who registered his immediate opposition to developing racecourse land and subsequently forced an extension to timelines regarding submissions to the plan.

Owens has accused developers of lobbying for the Spatial Plan, while also pointing the finger at former Mayor Tenby Powell and council officials who he claims hastily approved the plan to quickly identify projected housing demand.

'The proposed takeover of the racecourse is not a solution and is far from certain,” says Doug, whose late father Bob was knighted in 1997 for services to business and the community and served as the Mayor of Tauranga from 1968–1977.

'It is disingenuous to assume that government will rollover and handover our city's limited land reserve assets to developers who, in this case, are likely to produce a gated community with its own golf course.

'This will not address the issue of affordable or social housing, which the speculators are not interested in, but clearly this is where the real need is.

'A racecourse ‘land grab' would be despite expected public opinion to the contrary. Also, it would be a poor premise to the visionary solution required here and one that Tauranga deserves.

'It seems to me that the Te Papa Spatial Plan was not governed by a statutory process; it was not tested through independent hearings or review, and council simply adopted the plan in a rushed manner and signed it off.”

Owens' misgivings were further heightened last month when former TCC councillor Heidi Hughes took to social media platform LinkedIn to call for a 'solutions-focused collaboration” in order to tackle the city's well-documented housing crisis.

'We need 10,000 houses? Okay, let's work with government, developers [and the] community to solve this issue,” says Hughes, who resigned from council in December last year in order to delay a costly by-election.

'Racecourse – 3000 homes: five-story apartments all surrounding a park. Nice,” she adds. 'Biking distance to existing amenities. Greerton retail wins, upgrade local amenities, schools, parks – [the] community also win[s].”

While a specific alternative site was never officially identified back in 2019, Clayton Mitchell, who was a New Zealand First list MP at the time, suggested looking to the likes of Te Puke, Maketu, Papamoa or the Kaimai Range – an idea that Racing Tauranga chairman Carl McComb says is simply 'not possible”.

'We can't see how anyone could relocate the racecourse,” says Carl. 'I can't begin to understand where the funding would come from, and we never received anything in writing relating to any move.

'We're very proud of our reserve. We're a proud race track with a lot of history, and our position could not be clearer – we should stay exactly where we are.”

Horse racing on the current course dates back to 1873. As well as 12 thoroughbred race meetings a year, including the famed Japan Trophy which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, Racing Tauranga house a number of local trainers, with facilities typically used six mornings a week. The venue also hosts weddings and conferences as well as outdoor events.

While the facility's worth to the Bay of Plenty community is clear, from an ownership and future development standpoint the picture is tainted by ambiguity.

'The Tauranga racecourse and golf course are located on Crown-owned land, currently administered by Tauranga City Council,” says TCC general manager: strategy and growth, Christine Jones.

'In 2019, potential investigations over the future use of the lands were proposed in partnership with existing users, Tauranga City Council and the Crown. These haven't been progressed further since.

'In the meantime, within the sub-regional Urban Form and Transport Initiative and the Te Papa Spatial Plan, the land has been further considered from a strategic perspective, in light of ongoing growth of the city and the western Bay of Plenty.

'In both, the opportunity for the Crown-owned land to contribute to broader outcomes for the city was identified. This includes potential provision and diversification of open space and opportunities for other uses such as community amenities, comprehensively developed medium density housing, education and/or tourism.”

However, from his standpoint as chairman of the Racing Tauranga board, Carl remains largely sceptical of such claims, and wants to see the Te Papa Spatial Plan altered in order to bury any confusion surrounding the site once and for all.

'The trouble is, we haven't had a ‘hard line' from council,” says Carl, 'so at this stage it's all quite vague. We met with them and ultimately we don't believe the part of the Spatial Plan that relates to the racecourse should be in there.

'We're currently looking at what steps can be taken to try and amend that.

'We don't believe it is their domain – it is a reserve that was put into place by the government a long time ago, and we don't believe council are in a position to change the use of that land.”

While council claim that the Spatial Plan was developed alongside 'key stakeholders, existing users and the community”, there remains an obvious question mark over the medium-to-long term future of the site.

Christine admits existing uses are provided for by current leases, and any future investigations and/or changes to these arrangements would need to be initiated by the Crown and involve those users, including how existing uses may continue to be provided for on the lands or otherwise relocated.

'For the Crown-owned land in Greerton [the racecourse], the potential to play an important role in supporting future growth and wellbeing of Greerton and the wider community has been identified,” she says. 'However, the future use of this land remains undetermined.”

As far as those concerned with the day-to-day running of the racecourse, however, there is nothing undetermined about their message to the authorities.

'From our point of view it is a reserve of historic significance that is almost 150 years old,” says Carl. 'We've made our position clear to council - it is a reserve, and it should remain a reserve.”

Ngai Tamarawaho Development and Environmental Unit consultant, Buddy Mikaere, has confirmed that the matter has been discussed with hapu leadership, and the land in question lies squarely in the Ngai Tamarawaho hapu rohe (boundary).

'As with all the parks and reserves within the Tauranga CBD and lands that the council no longer needs, we are seeking the return of such lands to our ownership,” says Buddy. 'But for parks and reserves, with the rider that the land continue to fill its current public use function.

'Our approach is based on seeking a restoration of the hapu estate wherever we can but more importantly, restoration of the mana of owning the land again and removal of the stigma of it being land forcibly confiscated from us.

'On this basis we would oppose attempts aimed at the lifting of the reservation status by council for disposal to other parties.”