Simon Bridges National Party MP simonbridges.co.nz

I've made my views on the Tauranga Racecourse and Golf Club clear before.

Everyone accepts there are housing problems, but getting rid of our city's green spaces is definitely not the solution.

The answer is converting the old state houses we have into higher density, higher quality housing, and getting on with the supporting infrastructure and processes so that developers can get on with housing in the likes of Pāpāmoa East and Tauriko.

In other words, use the land already in housing better and free up Tauranga's surrounding land as well. If we do this there's no land shortage. We could build many thousands more homes and protect our city's green space.

Late last year, central and local government put out ‘The Greerton Maarawaewae Study – Securing a future for the racecourse and golf club reserve land in Greerton'. Amongst the options the document presents, keeping the green space with the racecourse and golf club is still present, but it is pretty clear, to me at least, that this isn't where the writers want this to go.

They want to take the land, otherwise why would they waste all this time and effort and create so much uncertainty for users?

The document mentions 'relocation” of the racecourse and golf club, but without putting up where to. This is entirely disingenuous and actually suggests the answer. There is nowhere else suitable. Out in the back blocks would be the death of both longstanding associations, as they'd cease to meaningfully be in 'Tauranga” and no one would go.

The document also raises the red herrings of a new school and new health facilities on the current greenspace. This seems to me very cynical. There are many local schools close by now that both myself and other local National MPs have fought for. Taumata is a new primary school in the Lakes I opened.

Regarding health land, National secured the old RSA land next to the hospital for future healthcare growth, and I understand Labour even now still isn't sure what to do with it. In addition, within the main hospital buildings, wings that National built still aren't fully utilised.

Both myself and folks from the racing and golf clubs are totally open to opening up use of the land as a green space with more, better activities. But keeping these associations here in Tauranga is a bottom line, as is this land actually being what we need it to be: a green space.

Tauranga can't become one big housing development, as important as housing is.

Formally, the government's commissioners will make a decision in April. But I'm worried this is a foregone conclusion.

It may be people power is all that can stop this, and with others I am considering whether we need to gather on the green space to make our voice heard sooner than later. I will keep you posted.