Work began on a $306m civic precinct, people protested the potential loss of green space and a court battle over a rottweiler played out in Tauranga in 2023.

Local Democracy Reporter Alisha Evans looks back at the year that was for Tauranga City Council.

The fight for Chopper the Rottweiler’s life played out in court and on social media in 2023.

Chopper bit vet Dr Liza Schneider, owner of Holistic Vets, in October 2021 leaving her with a fractured ulna and nerve damage that required surgery.

Chopper’s owner Helen Fraser was charged with owning a dog causing injury, it was dismissed by a judge in 2022 but Tauranga City Council appealed this. The hearing was held in April and if the council’s appeal was successful it would require the dog to be euthanised.

After a lengthy wait, Chopper’s fate was decided in August. The council was successful in its appeal and Fraser was convicted with a judge ordering Chopper’s destruction.

Supporters for Fraser and Schneider filled the public gallery of the courtroom as the decision was read out. The gallery was cleared by security after Fraser’s supporters swore and yelled.

Chopper was euthanised a few hours after the ruling.

Chopper’s supporters weren’t just vocal in court and Schneider alleged harassment and defamation had been caused from posts and comments on the ‘Team Chopper’ Facebook page, as well as the Holistic Vets Facebook page.

In November, a judge ordered the ‘Team Chopper’ Facebook page be taken down under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. The takedown order was complied with earlier this month.

An artist’s impression of the $306m civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa. Photo: TCC.

Reviving the city

Aimed at getting Tauranga’s city centre pumping again the $306m civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa was approved by the commission in July.

Te Manawataki o Te Papa, meaning the heartbeat of Te Papa, will feature a library and community hub, civic whare, museum, and an exhibition gallery.

Upgrades to Baycourt Community and Art Centre, Tauranga Art Gallery and Masonic park are also part of the multi-million dollar project.

It will be located on the site of the former council chambers and library, between Wharf Street and Hamilton Street in the city centre.

Ratepayers will front $151.5m of the precinct that will likely be sourced through a government levy and paid back via rates over 30 years.

Ground work began on the site last year and construction is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2028.

Hundreds turned out to protest plans for a stadium at the Tauranga Domain. Photo: Alisha Evans/ SunLive.

Turning paradise into a parking lot

Plans for a boutique stadium at the Tauranga Domain had sports clubs riled up over being potentially pushed out.

The $170 million stadium would displace the Tauranga Croquet Club, Tauranga Bowls Club and demolish the Bay of Plenty’s only all-weather athletics track.

Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club would have some of it courts relocated if the 10,000 seat stadium was built.

In March, the clubs organised a protest that saw around 500 people gather to oppose the stadium plans.

The clubs said they would “fight to stay” in their current locations.

Tauranga Croquet Club president Gretchen Benvie said if the stadium went ahead it would be “taking paradise and turning it into a parking lot”.

The croquet greens would become parking if the stadium was realised.

Consultation was held in December, with a decision about the stadium yet to be made.

Tauranga’s racecourse could become a hospital and sports fields. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Racecourse or hospital?

Another of the city’s greenspaces is being eyed for development.  A hospital could be built on the Tauranga Racecourse if Te Whatu Ora needs the land.

If the land was required for a hospital, parkland, sports fields and connections to the Kopurererua Valley would be developed to sit alongside the current golf course.

If the health authority doesn’t need the site, the racecourse and golf course would remain and an indoor sports facility, sports fields, and a playground would be added.

The study into future use of the 85 hectares of crown reserve land has been a three year project.

It included three phases of community engagement, consultation and hearings, in conjunction with mana whenua and the current lease holders, Racing Tauranga and the Tauranga Golf Club.

An earlier option of housing was met with opposition from many in the community and mana whenua, Ngāi Tamarāwaho hapū.

The hapū lodged a claim via the Treaty of Waitangi Act in February 2022, saying if the land wasn’t going to be used as a reserve they wanted it back.

Hapū representative Buddy Mikaere told LDR if it were to be slated for a hospital they would proceed with the treaty claim.

The future of the reserve remains uncertain until Te Whatu Ora make a decision on their use of the land later in the year.

Owner of The General café William Crosby said parking charges would be damaging to Mount businesses. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

‘Killer’ parking charges

Always a contentious issue, the council looked at adding parking charges to the retail area of Maunganui Road and along the beachfronts of the popular seaside suburb.

Business owners and the public were opposed. One retailer said charges would be “the nail in the retail coffin”.

Another business owner said the charges would “kill the Mount”. Most business LDR spoke to wanted the council to monitor the timed parking rather than charge people.

Council will consult on the charges and if a decision was made to implement it would before the 2024 summer season.

In a win for people’s pockets, the council backed down on extending paid parking in Tauranga’s CBD.

Paid on-street parking was set to be extended from Third Avenue up to Arundel Street, and from McLean Street up to Monmouth Street on February 26 2024.

In November, the commission decided to delay this after a backlash from the public.

Commission chair Anne Tolley said she wasn’t convinced on the need to extend paid parking when there were many available parks each day.

Whareroa Marae in Mount Maunganui has had heavy industry build up around it for decades. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Industry “poisoning” people

Whareroa Marae in Mount Maunganui is surrounded by an industrial area and a marae spokesperson said the pollution was “poisoning” their people.

In 2020 the marae took its concerns about pollutants to the city council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, calling for the managed retreat of heavy industry away from their whenua.

In March 2023, it was revealed there was “no feasible pathway” for relocation because many of the industrial activities have existing user rights under the resource management act.

A Te Whatu Ora report in July said poor air quality in Mount Maunganui was creating significant health risks.

In December the city council decided to implement stricter controls on what could be built in the area in future.

New emitting industries would not be permitted within the Whareroa and Newton Road and MacDonald Street areas. It also looked to transition to lighter industry over the long term in these areas.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.