One of Tauranga's oldest kindergartens is facing an uncertain future because their lease on council land will be terminated.

For more than 50 years the Avenues Kindergarten has taught thousands of young children, but Tauranga City Council said it won't be renewing their lease in 2027, so it can increase the useable greenspace.

Teacher Shavaurn Bennett says ending the lease 'seems very short-sighted” and it wouldn't just affect the children and their families. 'You're not just shutting a building, you're ripping a heart out of a community.”

The donation-based kindy is built on the Scout Reserve in Botanical Rd and has a full roll of 40 children aged two-five.

Shavaurn says they have a waiting list and receive two enquiries a week from families eager to enrol their children.

Head teacher Catherine Geddes says the closure won't affect the pre-schoolers at the centre now, but it could affect their siblings. 'We've got families where the grandparents right through to the grandchildren have come through the kindergarten.”

Avenues Kindergarten, previously known as Botanical Road Kindergarten, is one of 16 Inspired Kindergartens in Tauranga. The not-for-profit early childhood education service operates 25 kindergartens and a home-based early learning service in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel.

Principal Peter Monteith says if they need to relocate the estimated cost to replace the building and outdoor play area would be $1.75 million, which could take years to raise.

Eight of 16 Tauranga Inspired Kindergartens are on land leased from the council, making them the 'largest community user” of TCC land, says Peter.

He was concerned that if the council was ending the lease of one their kindergartens they could do it to others. Peter says Inspired Kindergartens are keen to work with TCC on a 'mutually beneficial” way forward.

TCC spaces and places manager Sarah Pearce says the council confirmed in October that the kindergarten would need to relocate when their lease expires. 'While kindergartens are clearly of community benefit, council faces a limited land resource and increasing pressures on open space.

'Scout Reserve is a key reserve for play and relaxation in an area of Tauranga where those types of spaces are relatively rare.

'Our intention is to expand the useable space at the reserve to accommodate growing demand – and to do so will require the space occupied by the kindergarten.”

Another reason given was to 'create better visual and physical access to the reserve” after a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design report recommended that the kindergarten location should be reviewed because it 'adversely affected the visibility into the park”.

Sarah says council has offered Inspired Kindergartens a possible site for relocation, but Peter says the site isn't big enough for the kindergarten's needs.

The council is keen to work with them on further options for relocation, either on council-owned land or otherwise, says Sarah.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.