A 'vanity project of the minority” is how the proposed stadium at the Tauranga Domain is being described.

Christine Young was sharing her thoughts on the stadium at the Hands of Tauranga Domain protest on Sunday.

Young was one of around 400 people gathered at the domain in central Tauranga throwing their support behind the sports clubs that will be affected if the stadium goes ahead.

'As a ratepayer, I am very concerned,” said Young.

She told Local Democracy Reporting the information she heard from the clubs was 'the commissioners had a predetermined plan for all of this before even consulting with all the stakeholders”.

'We also heard that there was so much community group and volunteer hours that have been put into these world class facilities.”

Asked if she wanted her ratepayer money spent on a stadium Young replied: 'No because I think this is a fantastic space for Tauranga.”

Christine Young and Cameron Luxton. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive.

The Tauranga Domain is home to the Tauranga Croquet Club, Tauranga Bowls Club, Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club and it has the Bay of Plenty's only all-weather athletics track.

A business case, led by economic development agency Priority One, was underway for the $170 million stadium that would seat 8000 – 10,000 people.

If the stadium was built it would displace the Tauranga Croquet Club, Tauranga Bowls Club and the athletics track would be built over. The tennis club would have two of its courts relocated and parking removed.

The stadium is part of Tauranga City Council's Active Reserves Masterplans for Baypark, Blake Park and the Tauranga Domain which propose sweeping changes to the city's sport facilities.

The croquet club, tennis club and Tauranga Millennium Track Trust, that built the athletics track, have formed the Hands of Tauranga Domain alliance with the Bay of Plenty Speedway Association (BOPSA).

Under the plans the speedway would be required to relocate from its purpose built stadium at Baypark in Mount Maunganui.

Croquet club president Gretchen Benvie told the crowd turning the club into parking, which is proposed in the plans, would be a 'disgrace”.

'They want to pave paradise and turn it into a parking lot.”

Protest signs lined the entrance to the Tauranga Domain. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive.

Track trust spokesperson Garth Mathieson said the plans were 'extinction notices” because there were no suitable facilities to relocate to and no funds to do so.

'There's no money now or likely in the future to relocate the speedway, croquet and the track so they will just be demolished.”

BOPSA member Rodney Wood told the protestors speedway was happy to work with other sporting codes to share the space but they didn't think they should be relocated for them.

'We will fight to stay at Baypark Speedway if it means calling up our mates with diggers and dozers and trucks and machinery and surrounding it with machines to protect what we built.”

This was met with applause from the crowd.

Another of the alliance's gripe was the loss of greenspace if the stadium were built.

MC and tennis club president Philip Brown likened the domain to New York's Central Park.

'Parks are the oxygen of the city an oasis of peace,” he said.

'Council policy for this area is intensification. Parks will be even more important with this increased population.

'The domain is our central park that needs to remain for now and future generations, for our children and grandchildren. More or less as it is today with a great selection of community sports.”

Tui Ashe, Trevor Ashe and Loris Reed use the athletics track regularly. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive.

Attendee Loris Reed agreed and told LDR the greenspace 'could never be replaced”.

'It's beautiful with the water view.”

Speedway supporters Dean and Kay Henriksen said they were 'damn proud” of the speedway.

'So many people worked so hard to get speedway there,” said Kay Henriksen.

'We love speedway and we don't want speedway relocated.”

Speaking after the protest Wood said the clubs would 'keep making some noise and keep fighting”.

'It's great that people were coming out to support it, and getting to grasp what's actually going on.

'The community need to know what's actually happening behind the scenes.”

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