Arataki Park Concept Plan

Arataki Park serves as a cornerstone of community life, providing vital open spaces and facilities for sport, recreation, and socialisation to the residents of Arataki and beyond. Over the past two years, Tauranga City Council (TCC) received multiple submissions for the sole use of parcels of Arataki Park, prompting the need for a strategic master plan process to evaluate these requests and ensure alignment with community needs and future park objectives. TCC initiated a project to envision the future of Arataki Park, engaging Veros to conduct extensive stakeholder engagement to develop a concept plan for the park.

The purpose of the plan is to forge a future for Arataki Park as a vibrant community space that enriches user experiences, providing opportunities for people to gather, learn, and stay active, fulfilling current and future community needs. This concept plan will act as a ‘road map’ for necessary improvements and future investments, aligning the park’s facilities with the community’s needs and the city’s broader goals for open spaces and recreation.

Our team’s role involved orchestrating community and stakeholder engagement to gather comprehensive insights into the current and future needs of Arataki Park. Key local stakeholders, included sports clubs, community organisations, service providers, facility operators, Mana Whenua, and park users. This led to the production of a concept plan that guides future development and investment, ensuring the park continues to meet the evolving demands of the community. Discussions facilitated by Veros were instrumental in shaping the principles that will guide the development of the park, ensuring that all proposals for its use align with the broader vision for community benefit.

Consultations were instrumental in understanding current usage, pinpointing challenges, and uncovering opportunities for enhancing Arataki Park to better serve both specific groups and the wider community. Veros played a crucial role in facilitating discussions, which directly contributed to creating guiding principles that underpin the plan, helping to resolve conflicting perspectives over space, and aligning stakeholder interests with community needs.