A delegation of local sports groups will address Whakatāne District Council tomorrow about the proposed Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub Development Plan.

A staff report to the meeting recommends the council commit $14.9 million to the War Memorial Hall renewal works, which are part of that project.

While the funds will not be needed until 2028, the recommendation is to commit to funding the project now, rather than waiting until next year's long-term plan to make the decision as planned.

A need for further seismic strengthening has been identified as part of the design stage of renewal work, increasing the scale of the work needed.

Strengthening done in 2019-2020 has recently been assessed at about 34 percent of new building standards, making it compliant with current legislation. However, staff consider it prudent to improve the resilience of the building if it is to be used long term, the report says.

A commitment of funding now would enable the renewal to be carried out as a single work programme, rather than in phases. The phased approach would stretch the work over a longer period, require more than one lengthy closure of the hall, and eventually cost more.

As it is, the hall will be closed for possibly as long as six months from the beginning of next year, causing huge disruption to sporting groups.

The hall renewal work is just one part of a greater $107 million plan to upgrade the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub, which also includes Rex Morpeth and Rugby parks, the athletics field, the aquatic centre and The Art House.

In 2024, the council chose to deliver the renewal through a phased approach rather than committing to funding the entire project.

It approved an initial budget of $7.72 million to carry out preliminary works. These included making the hall watertight and other renewals based on health and safety and functionality.

Part of this budget would also go toward finalising the overall recreation hub plan, exploring the feasibility of a separate indoor court facility and developing an external funding plan to support the larger project.

A stop-go decision point would be integrated into the Long-term Plan 2027–37 about whether to invest a further $98 million for a second phase of works.

The current funding is no longer sufficient to cover the first phase of works.

Consolidating all the War Memorial Hall renewal works into a single coordinated delivery programme along with a funding commitment would enable all work to be done during the closure rather than requiring it to be closed a second time, the report says.

Representatives from Sport Bay of Plenty, along with Whakatāne Volleyball, Tauranga City Basketball, Eastern Bay basketball association Te Aka Poitūkohu and Whakatāne Roller Derby have been allocated 30 minutes at the beginning of the meeting to provide perspectives on how the proposed upgrades align with the current and future needs of sport and recreation within the district and the role the facility plays in supporting community participation, development, and growth.

Whakatāne Harrier and Athletics Club will also be addressing the council separately, during the public forum section of the meeting, about the club's views on the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub.