Hastings District Council now officially owns 40ha of Tōmoana Showgrounds with the agreement to buy it for $7.5 million completed at the beginning of April.
The other 2.7ha of the site is to be subdivided and retained by the A&P Society.
Once this is ratified HDC will start the process of preparing a Reserve Management Plan for the site and vest the Tōmoana Showgrounds as a reserve under the Reserves Act 1977. The name “Tōmoana Showgrounds” will be retained, and as a reserve the site will be held by the Council in perpetuity.
In the meantime, Tomoana Showgrounds is being used as a distribution hub for the Cyclone Gabrielle response.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the sale of the showgrounds, consulted on in April 2022, means iconic events will continue, with opportunities for more.
“This is fantastic for our community, knowing that events like the A&P Show, weekly Farmers’ Market, Horse of the Year, concerts and more can continue for decades to come,” she said.
“When we take over the showgrounds, it will still be used by Civil Defence as a distribution hub, and we fully support them to use the space to meet the needs of the community for as long as the need is out there.”
Once the response has been stood down, Council will work towards the showgrounds being vested as a reserve, which will protect it for the community forever.
“Working with the community, we’ll then begin developing a Reserve Management Plan setting out the establishment of a trust, how we look after the Tōmoana Showgrounds, creating opportunities for more events, and improving the facilities.”
Once there is more certainty around how long Civil Defence will need the site, people who have expressed interest in booking the venue will be contacted and future bookings will start being taken.
The connection with the Hawke’s Bay A&P Society will remain strong, with representation on the trust along with mana whenua and Council.
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