Mā Koutou, Mā Tātau - Our People, Our Spaces

Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub Master Plan

We want to create community spaces where people can come together to do the things they love.
Sport - recreation - arts - culture - events - wellbeing

What is the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub?

Whakatāne War Memorial Hall, the 17 hectares of surrounding reserve land at Rex Morpeth Park and Rugby Park, Whakatāne Aquatic and Fitness Centre and the Whakatāne Arts and Craft Centre is collectively referred to as the 'Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub'.

What's happening?

We're handing you the pen and asking you to have your say on some draft redevelopment plans we've had developed for the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub.

Why are we doing this?

Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub is one of Whakatāne District's most loved and used community assets. It's a special place where memories are made, and lifelong friendships and skills are developed. It has served us well however, the space isn't fit for purpose anymore. The hall and theatre haven't been updated for 50 years and changes are required in response to varying uses and challenges. For example, basketball and volleyball are two of the most popular sports in our district, but demand for court space exceeds supply. This means our tamariki and rangatahi are missing out. In addition, the Rugby Park grandstand requires seismic strengthening.

Community survey

Some time ago, Whakatāne District Council acknowledged the need for significant upgrades to the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall and a commitment was made to upgrade the hall and develop a master plan for the surrounding fields and facilities as part of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.

Earlier this year we asked for your thoughts about the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub Master Plan project and what the future of this space could look like. We worked with a wider sector of our communities and key users of the facilities to better understand current uses and consider needs and wants. Since then, we progressed with the master planning process and three master plan options have been developed based off this feedback.

Some common themes came through and we took those on board. We agree there are many things to consider, including parking, traffic management, 'hubbing' of sporting codes, disconnection of Rugby Park and Rex Morpeth Park, demand for field space, upgrades to the theatre and much more.

What are the options?

The options provide for a wide scope of potential changes to the existing spaces and facilities within the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub. They range from doing the bare minimum to maintain the existing facilities (status quo), to a full redevelopment which proposes alternative locations for an events and indoor sports space within the existing park. In addition, one option provides for the theatre to be moved offsite to an alternative location. All options beyond status quo will be costly to develop with initial high-level costings ranging from $75m to $154m+ and will be staged over time.

Check out the Rex Morpeth Recreation Hub Master Plan - Options - (PDF, 4.61 MB)

The bigger picture

This is a unique opportunity to ensure that we meet the current and future social, cultural, and sporting needs of our communities. It's tricky to discuss investing in our district at a time when the cost of living is front of mind. However, it’s important to plan now for future generations so we can work towards staging development over time and have credible plans in order to seek external funding.

Typically, community facilities such as this can attract a significant portion of external funding so it’s important to keep this in mind when having a say on preferred options.

Next steps

Thank you for your interest, submissions closed 5pm, Monday, 9 October

Following community feedback an evaluation report will be presented to elected members along with a preferred option to be included within the 2024 – 2034 Long Term Plan consultation.