Growing possibilities for Te Puāwaitanga Sports Hub

The council is seeking community feedback on a proposal to help fund the future development of Te Puāwaitanga – Bay of Islands Sports Hub at 1936 State Highway 10, Waipapa.

Since opening in 2025, Te Puāwaitanga has become a key community sports facility. The site currently includes two sand-based fields, three soil-based fields, public parking, bus bays, and changing and toilet facilities.

The wider site covers 46 hectares, with around 12 hectares currently developed. While future stages of the project have long been identified, they remain unfunded.

To help fund these future improvements, the council is proposing to sell or lease approximately 10 hectares of land on the northern end of the property. The land has frontage to State Highway 10 and is separate from the existing sports facilities.

While no decision has been made about how the land would be used if it were sold or leased, the area has been identified as potentially suitable for commercial or retail development because of its location.

Under the proposal, all proceeds from any sale or lease would be ring-fenced in a dedicated reserve account and used solely for future development at Te Puāwaitanga.

Future development could include:

• additional sports fields
• clubrooms
• indoor courts
• walking tracks
• additional parking
• infrastructure upgrades.

No existing sports fields or recreation facilities would be lost under the proposal.

The council is inviting the community to have its say through an online survey on the consultation page, where further information, including frequently asked questions, is available.

Members of the public can also ask questions and provide feedback at the upcoming pop-up at Te Puāwaitanga on Saturday 15 August from 8.30am to 10.30am.

Further information about Te Puāwaitanga - Bay of Islands Sports Hub is also available on the sports hub webpage.

Feedback is open until Monday 31 August.

See the map below. The area outlined in red is the land proposed for sale or lease.