Ownership of 11 Mission Street will be transferred to the Otamataha Trust, subject to a lease to the Elms Foundation.

The Tauranga City Council voted in favour of transferring the ownership at today's council meeting.

The property at 11 Mission Street is located within the original Otamataha Pā site.

The title to the land will be gifted to the Otamataha Trust and a lease granted to the Elms Foundation allowing them to develop the area.

Local historian and Tauranga Moana iwi leader Buddy Mikaere is pleased with the decision.

'It's an amazing decision because it restores the mana of owning the land back to the people who originally owned it but it also enables the Elms to continue with the great job that it's doing.

'And of course members of the Tauranga public are free to enjoy the same things that they enjoyed before.

'All round a really good result and I think a good indication of where we are going under the new mayor's leadership.

'This is the start of a new era for Tauranga.”

Tauranga Moana iwi leader Buddy Mikaere. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The Elms site holds cultural and historical significance to the people of Tauranga. Today's decision acknowledges the shared history of the land while making sure it can be enjoyed by future generations, a Tauranga City Council spokesperson says.

Tauranga City Council looks forward to working with both the Otamataha Trust and Elms Foundation, the spokesperson says.

The decision was passed by seven votes to three with one abstention.

The councillors who voted for the decision are Heidi Hughes, Kelvin Clout, Steve Morris, Jako Abrie, Larry Baldock, Tina Salisbury and Mayor Tenby Powell.

Votes against the decision came from, Bill Grainger, John Robson and Andrew Hollis with Dawn Kiddie abstaining from the vote.