NZ: Springfield GC 30-year lease approved in Council meeting
Rotorua Lakes Council has voted to approve a new 30-year lease for the Springfield Golf Club to occupy its largest parcel of freehold land, about 34ha, with the 18-hole course.
The golf club’s land lease expires in 2027. Negotiations over the last few months between the club and council chief executive Andrew Moraes resulted in a compromised new lease start date of 1 January 2026 instead of 2025 and an annual rental starting at $15,000 instead of $20,000.
Rent would be reviewed every three years. The lease was signed by the club and was awaiting Moraes’ signature.
A controversial alternative-use clause remained and could be triggered after eight years with a two-year notice period, allowing the council to use the land for either recreation or stormwater mitigation, following community consultation.
In recent years, the council debated using the land for sports grounds as part of the proposed Westbrook Sports and Recreation Precinct or for housing, sparking community backlash.
In 2021, the Saving Springfield group collected 5017 signatures on a petition asking the council to declare the golf course a taonga and continue its lease.
