More housing or a hospital expansion proposal are just two of seven potential options developed by Tauranga City Council for the future use of the Tauranga Racecourse Reserve

The septet of options were established after the Greerton Maarawaewae Study, an engagement process conducted in conjunction with Kāinga Ora, but Council commissioner Anne Tolley is keen to stress that no decisions have yet been made.

The seven options vary in scope.

Option one sees the area remain the same.

Option two would see the racecourse and golf course remain with artificial sportsfields installed, whilst option three would see the racecourse relocated and a destination recreation park included.

Option four would see both the racecourse and golf course relocated.

Option five and six both include housing whilst option seven, perhaps the most left-field, has the option of a potential health service on Barkes Corner.

The options will now be open to public feedback until the end of February.

Analysis will take place throughout March, with final recommendations then presented to Commissioners.

April is when Commissioners aim to make the final decision on the future use of the land but at present they remain just options for future use.

'That's all they are at this stage,” says Anne.

'They don't come near the Commission for any form of decisions. We want to get things out in the open for over the holiday period so people can have a look at them, have a talk about them, have a think about them.

'No decisions have been made.”

The April timeline could extend if considerable unease over future options remain but Anne does confirm a desire to ensure a final decision is made before the Commissions' October transition away from Tauranga City Council. She cites fears over a potential incumbent elected Council's inability to make hard decisions and a need to provide assurity to the current leaseholders.

The land is currently leased by Racing Tauranga and Tauranga Golf Club until 2039.

The land is owned by the Crown with the Council the administering body.

As Anne alludes to, the land was originally confiscated from Ngāi Tamarawaho and she says council is working in partnership with mana whenua on the project, with Kāinga Ora a Crown representative.

The options were developed as a result of feedback from the community as part of the $230,000 study, with Council receiving 650 engagement responses.

Whilst two of the options on the table do include housing, potentially as many as 1500 new homes, feedback from the study did identify 'lots of opposition” to the idea of housing with heavy backing for the maintaining of green space.

Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy says the fact only two of the options on the table incorporate housing signifies that the study's findings are being adhered to.

'It just shows that the team has done an awesome job of listening to the conversations because, otherwise, you would have seen seven options with housing on them,” he says.

'The team have really taken on board the feedback.”

However, Anne admits there is a housing crisis in Tauranga and that as a Commission they must look at all options for housing - with housing identified as an option on the reserve in both the Urban Form and Transport Initiative and the Te Papa Spatial Plan.

Anne also says there has been strong support from the community regarding keeping the golf course in place but that support for the racecourse staying in situ 'hasn't been as strong”.

No potential areas for any relocation have yet been established.

Several of the options also include increasing access points to the reserve area.

Anne suggests that a hybrid of the seven options on the table may eventually form the final proposal, based on the results of further community feedback.

The BOPDHB entered the conversation late, making their interest known in utilising the site in mid-November.

Anne admits it is something of a 'surprise” option and had little details on the specifics of what health service could enter the fray. It would, however, almost certainly mean the relocation of the racecourse.

'We had to be honest with the public because we promised we would be open and transparent,” says Anne.

'We couldn't leave this off because it is a significant change and a significant option.”

The complete list of options will be available to view on the Council website from 9am on Thursday, December 16.