Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale has gone into bat for rowers opposing plans for a new pontoon on the city’s waterfront.

The former world and Olympic champion rower has suggested the Bay of Plenty Regional Council reconsider its planned Maritime Emergency Response Facility, saying he “did not see a need” for it.

The regional council plans to build the facility on The Strand Extension, behind its headquarters, Regional House, to store oil spill response equipment and facilitate faster responses to emergencies.

The plan has met opposition from the Tauranga Rowing Club, which previously told Local Democracy Reporting the club would no longer be able to use that part of the harbour for training if the pontoon was built.

Residents of the area also opposed adding the structure to the harbour.

The regional council gave a presentation on its plan to the Tauranga City Council’s city delivery committee on Tuesday, amid negotiations between the two councils for a licence to occupy for the facility.

The presentation by regional council regulatory services general manager Reuben Fraser, special projects manager Annabel Taylor, deputy harbourmaster Daniel Rapson and maritime operations team leader Scott Robinson said the current response time to maritime emergencies such as oil spills was two to three hours.

The response time was crucial given how quickly oil could spread when propelled by wind and currents.

An aerial impression of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's planned Maritime Emergency Response Facility on The Strand Extension in Tauranga. Image / Bay of Plenty Regional Council

This plan, which would put vessels and equipment in one place, would improve the response time to an estimated 15 minutes and make other day-to-day activities more efficient.

The regional council is proposing to develop an upgraded boat ramp, a boat wash-down bay, upgraded rock revetment to protect the area and mitigate erosion, a floating walkway and a mooring pontoon.

The two main maritime response vessels would be permanently berthed at the pontoon, with an oil skimmer also stored there. It would be fenced off for security.

The council said the boat ramp would still be accessible to the public.

‘There isn’t a problem’

Drysdale suggested the regional council look for other options and said he believed the plan was not the safest option for rowers.

“I just don’t see a need for this,” he said.

“You’re basically building something where there isn’t a problem … there are other ways to solve this.”

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale. Photo / Alex Cairns

“I’m very convinced that if you went and had the right conversation with Bridge Marina, you’d solve your problems pretty quickly around storing your skimmer there and maybe adding five or 10 minutes to your response time.”

Fraser said there was no space at Bridge Marina to store the skimmer.

Drysdale clarified after the meeting that it was his personal view and not a position taken by the council.

He suggested a facility at the marine precinct, set for future development, could be another “more cost-effective” option for achieving the regional council’s “important” outcome of maritime protection.

Oil spill response

The regional council responded to 74 oil spill calls from July 1, 2020, to August 1, 2025; 15 of which were “major call outs”, the presentation said.

In a spill, booms were used to contain the spread of oil on the water surface.

The skimmer – a 3.8m long, 400kg piece of mechanical equipment – was used to separate and remove floating oil from the water surface.

The location for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's planned Maritime Emergency Response Facility was chosen because it is directly below their office, Regional House, and will reduce response times in an emergency. Photo / Alisha Evans

This equipment was stored at the Port of Tauranga, with the primary response boat, Awanui, stored at Bridge Marina.

In a spill, the equipment and vessel at present need to be collected separately and then brought together at the nearest available jetty.

The council said an increase in the number and size of ships calling at the Port of Tauranga, combined with adverse weather events, had increased oil-spill risk in the harbour.

More recreational craft using the harbour meant more possible interactions with big ships that could lead to groundings.

There had also been a switchover to “persistent” fuel instead of lighter fuels.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council's planned Maritime Emergency Response Facility will sit off The Strand Extension. Photo / Alisha Evans

“Persistent fuels stick to everything and require manual removal and remain in the ecosystem for longer than lighter fuels.”

Persistent oils such as fuel and crude generally require a clean-up response, whereas non-persistent oils such as diesel and gasoline generally evaporate or disperse quickly.

Project timeline

The regional council said its pre-consent consultation with iwi and affected stakeholders and the developed design were complete.

The consent could be lodged once the licence to occupy had been agreed by both councils.

A tender for construction was due in mid-2026, with construction likely to start at the end of this year.

The project would be funded by the regional council and had been budgeted for in the Long-Term Plan 2024-34.

Iwi view

Ngāi Tamarāwaho spokesman Buddy Mikaere. Photo / Andrew Warner

Ngāi Tamarāwaho spokesman Buddy Mikaere told Local Democracy Reporting the pontoon plans were raised with mana whenua “some years ago”.

“It is an important site as it lies below the Mareanui pā site on the high ground above.

“However, the intended use of the site accords it a high priority from our perspective and its location – as part of the regional council facilities – seems sensible."

He said it would be a good fit with the new Wharewaka facility to be located nearby.

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2022.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.