A Mount Maunganui sports club is closer to having a home after being without clubrooms for 14 years, which has been a “massive hit to their mana”.

Arataki Sports’ clubrooms at Arataki Park were demolished in 2010 and the club has been asking Tauranga City Council for a space ever since.

The club represents a range of sports including rugby and netball.

The Commission approved the Arataki Park Concept Plan at a meeting on Monday.

The plans include an area for a sports club, a cycle/walking track around the park’s perimeter, upgrades to the skatepark, basketball court and playgrounds.

A youth hub could also be added by extending the community centre.

Arataki Sports president Billy Russell says the old clubrooms were a “home away from home” for the community.

“It was quite a dampener on our mana when they took out our old clubrooms.

“The last few years it’s just been a massive struggle and a massive hit to our mana.”

“To hear that [council] want to meet with us and engage in that space again is heart-warming.”

The clubs uses the community centre at the park for changing rooms but Russell says it doesn’t cater for their needs and isn’t a home.

“When we host other clubs for after-matches it’s so demeaning.

“It’s not somewhere you feel proud to take people from other historic clubs because it holds no mana.”

Arataki Sports request for a space to build clubrooms was denied many times by previous councils, says Billy.

“Now that the Commissioners are giving us that opportunity, it’s a little bit of a fire in the belly.”

Council spaces and places manager Alison Law says the council couldn’t comment on previous council decisions.

“However, recent investment in sports facilities is an acknowledgement from the council of the important role of sports clubs in providing social and community wellbeing.”

Plans have been approved to add a cycleway and upgrade facilities at Arataki Park. Photo: Alisha Evans.

The previous building was demolished because it reached the end of its life, says Alison.

The clubrooms opened in 1978, seven years after Arataki Sports was formed. Arataki Community Centre was co-designed with the community and its primary purpose was to provide spaces for the community to connect and these were always very busy, says Alison.

“It’s not the ideal space for sports club to operate from, which is why the plan for the park proposes a new sports facility.”

“The development of the Arataki Park Concept Plan was in part a response to the longstanding concerns from Arataki Sports that they did not have adequate facilities on the park.”

Bay Venues operations general manager Tina Harris-Ririnui says development of the community centre included accommodating Arataki Sports.

“The club has the use of the kitchen to prepare kai and can run a tuck shop through the open window out to the field, which was specifically designed with the club in mind.”

The council will work with Arataki Sports and other users to development the sports facility, says Alison.

There is no specific funding for the plan but it will be implemented as budget became available and existing facilities need renewing over the next 30 years, says Alison.

If funding is needed to build the clubrooms Arataki Sports will fundraise to put their whare back up, says Russell.

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