Proposal

Rotorua Lakes Council manages the recreation area on Tārewa Road, commonly known as Pūruru Reserve. This reserve includes an old tennis court and is the former location of the Tārewa Tennis Club.

Legal description: Tārewa 6B Block (ML 14238) and Tārewa 6C Block.

Area: 0.173ha and 0.222 ha respectively.

In 1964, the Māori owners of Tārewa 6B and part of 6C built the Tārewa Road Tennis Courts and then gifted their land to the Council as a place of recreation for the community. The land was renamed the Pūruru Reserve, and the tennis courts remain there to this day but have not been maintained to a high standard. The Pūruru Reserve is opposite Taharangi Marae on Tārewa Road. Taharangi Marae is the most northern marae of Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tūara. A number of social services operate from here, including mātua whāngai, youth mentoring, parenting programmes, Rangatahi Court and counselling services.

Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tūara have asked whether Council would return the gifted land, so that the marae community can use that area to support marae programmes.

Under Section 24A of the Reserves Act 1977, it is proposed to classify Pūruru Reserve as a Māori reservation and vest it in trustees representing the people of Taharangi Marae.

Public Consultation on the proposal will be open from 29 February 2020 to 4pm 30 March 2020. Submissions may be made on the accompanying form