The cry is “Hands off Baypark Speedway” and the council have listened, changing plans that could have seen the speedway evicted.

The Bay of Plenty Speedway Association has called the Mercury Stadium in Mount Maunganui’s Baypark home since it was built in 2001.

In October last year, Tauranga City Council approved the Active Reserves Masterplans for Baypark, Blake Park and the Tauranga Domain.

These preliminary plans saw the stadium removed and the speedway’s pits temporarily relocated to make way for a multi-use sporting precinct for outdoor netball, track and field athletics and gymnastics.

The council has “significantly revised” the Baypark master plans leaving the stadium and pits in place with enhancements to the grandstand and facade by adding lighting and artwork to “reflect the cultural narrative of the site”.

The commission will decide whether to adopt the revised plans for all three reserves at a meeting today.

The Active Reserve Masterplans aim to provide an integrated approach to community sport, events and high-performance sport and to optimise the use of the spaces as the city grows.

Last year, BOPSA formed a steering group with the promoter, Speedway Racing Ltd, and the sport’s governing body Speedway NZ, in response to the council’s plans.

The group splashed the message, “Hands off Baypark Speedway” across billboards, bumper stickers and social media.

Speedway supporters have also taken part in a protest and public meetings against the masterplans and a potential stadium at the Tauranga Domain.

Some of the 400 strong crowd at the protest against the masterplans and proposed Tauranga Domain stadium in March. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive.

Steering group chairman Rodney Wood told Local Democracy Reporting it's comforting to know speedway is staying where it is.

“Once upon a time there was a threat that speedway was going to be moved out, which I think would've been a terrible outcome. To know that we're staying is definitely something to be thrilled about,” says Wood.

“It brings a lot more confidence back into the whole operation of speedway.

“It was the speedway that actually created Baypark, so that would've been tragic to have the speedway moved out of the place that we built for the sake of other sports.”

BOPSA paid for the resource consents for the speedway and then enlisted the help of former Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson. He built the stadium at a cost of $24 million and owned and operated it until 2007, when he sold it to the council for $12 million.

Clarkson previously told LDR the half price deal was a donation to speedway, Bay of Plenty Rugby and the community, with the intention speedway would remain there.

Under the masterplans the netball facilities would be moved from Mount Maunganui’s Blake Park and the athletics track would be removed from the Tauranga Domain and new facilities built at Baypark.

The revised Baypark Masterplan. Image: Tauranga City Council.

The main changes were that the netball courts and athletics track would now be on the western side of Baypark close to State Highway 29A and additional parking would be added to eastern side.

There would also be a dedicated pedestrian and cycle entrance and a new vehicle exit onto SH29A.

Key reasons for the Baypark plan revisions included: the expected costs, consenting issues and disruption of moving the speedway pit lane; concern from netball and athletics groups about the proximity to wastewater treatment facilities and re-consideration of the overall site logistics to enable efficient and safe movement of people and vehicles, says council spaces and places manger Alison Law’s report in the meeting’s agenda.

“Whilst we are confident in the proposed site configuration in the revised masterplan, there are geotechnical, infrastructural and consenting issues to resolve to deliver it. Further adjustments may be required to the site layout to achieve the intended outcomes,” says Law.

Wood says it is a compromise for speedway allowing other sports groups onto Baypark.

“It's going to have to be well coordinated for each of the groups to be able to work together and function together on the site, but we hope that they [the council] can make that work.”

The speedway association has a lease until 2029. Wood says the steering group, the council and Bay Venues, that manages the facilities, are working towards speedway’s long-term tenure at Baypark.

Law’s report says work is underway “to fully understand the costs and viability of maintaining the stadium in a safe and sustainable condition long-term”.

The Tauranga City Council meeting will be held at 9.30am on today, September 4. It is open to the public and will also be live streamed.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.