Waitaha Reserve
Concrete path with silver handrail leads to blue and yellow rubber soft-fall playground. Features shade sails, climbing nets, and swings with wood chip and grass borders overlooking water.
Smooth concrete skate park with a long black handrail and colourful red, yellow and orange painted border. Level paths connect to a playground with climbing equipment, swings and shade sails.
Level dark blue basketball court with yellow and red markings. A wide concrete path leads to tiered timber seating. A large shade sail covers a level area with a low-profile blue bench.Overview
Waitaha Reserve in Welcome Bay, Tauranga, is a revitalised community hub offering modern recreational facilities. It features a new basketball court, playground, refurbished skate park, shaded picnic area, bike racks, accessible walkways, amphitheatre, and community gardens.
Accessible to visitors who:
Visitor experience
Sloping concrete pathway with a white and red bollard obstructing the centre. Grassy banks and a large tree line the path leading uphill towards a building and colourful mural.
Wide grey concrete pathway with a gentle downhill gradient, bordered by grass and mulch garden beds, leading towards a road.
Wide level concrete pathway curves alongside a low wall with a colourful floral mural and wavy vertical metal fence. A grassy lawn borders the path on the right.- Waitaha Reserve is an open-air, unstaffed venue.
- Visitors can reach this site using public transport, with the closest mode of transport (Bus) located within 200 metres of the venue entrance.
- There are no designated and clearly-marked accessible parking spaces available at the reserve.
- The closest accessible parking is more than eighty metres away, and the general car park is not well-lit at night.
- There are no designated drop-off and pick-up points or loading zones for safe and convenient access.
- Activities held at this venue are suitable for participants who are neurodiverse.
- The venue is an open-air reserve, and a designated breakout room or quiet space is not applicable.
- Information is not available regarding whether activities offer a wide range of sensory experiences or allow participants to easily remove themselves from activities due to sensory overload.
- Waitaha Reserve is an unstaffed, open-air venue, and it is unknown if events or activities are hosted here.
- It is not an aquatic facility or ski field, and there is no information on the provision of beach access mats or beach wheelchairs for any potential beach activities.
- Details on whether a sheltered space is available for visitors during sudden bad weather, or if signage is provided for meeting points in a large public space, are not available.
- Information is missing regarding whether the outdoor grounds are easy to navigate for people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or walking aids if activities take place outdoors.
- As Waitaha Reserve is an unstaffed venue, questions regarding staff training on accessibility and inclusion for visitors are not applicable.
- Similarly, information about staff awareness of accessible features and services, or their ability to assist with emergency escape routes for people requiring mobility assistance, is not provided due to the unstaffed nature of the venue.
Sloping concrete pathway with a white and red bollard obstructing the centre. Grassy banks and a large tree line the path leading uphill towards a building and colourful mural.Wide grey concrete pathway with a gentle downhill gradient, bordered by grass and mulch garden beds, leading towards a road.
Level asphalt driveway leads to the gated entrance of a weatherboard community centre. A blue accessibility sign is on a pole nearby. A sign on the wall reads 'Community Centre'.
accessibility_overview accessibility image
Six concrete steps with silver metal handrails on both sides lead from a dark grey asphalt pathway up to a light grey concrete path. Grass borders the steps under bright daylight.
Brown brick path beside a white weatherboard wall. A concrete kerb and garden bed with a leaning tree narrow the walkway where it meets a grey asphalt driveway.Wide level concrete pathway curves alongside a low wall with a colourful floral mural and wavy vertical metal fence. A grassy lawn borders the path on the right.
blindness Low Vision accessibility image
Metal gate with bird motif opens to a level speckled threshold. Approach via a grey brick path with a small concrete lip transition from asphalt. White weatherboard walls line the entrance.Wheelchair & Mobility Scooter Access
- The main entrance and pathway to the site are not accessible to people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or walking aids, as they do not provide step-free access.
- The site contains steps; however, ramps are available and can be easily navigated by people using manual wheelchairs, walking frames, or mobility aids.
- The existing steps are not accessible to ambulant disabled people.
- While the venue is a public space with no doors, any internal doors or doorways (if applicable) do not accommodate people using wheelchairs, powerchairs, or mobility scooters, nor are they easy to open with one hand.
Accessible Restrooms
- The venue has accessible restrooms that are clearly labelled and located near the community centre, less than twenty metres from the main play area.
- There is more than one accessible bathroom stall, and the interior is spacious enough for manual wheelchairs and powerchairs.
- Grabrails are easily accessible when seated on the toilet, and handwashing and drying facilities, including a hand dryer, are within easy reach for wheelchair users.
- Restroom doors can be operated with one hand for opening, locking, and unlocking, and staff can unlock them in an emergency.
- The bathroom mirror is at an appropriate height for wheelchair users.
Accessible Parking
- There are no designated or clearly-marked accessible parking spaces at Waitaha Reserve.
- The closest accessible parking spot is located more than eighty metres away from the main entrance, near a foursquare.
- The car park is not well-lit at night.
- There are no designated drop-off and pick-up points or loading zones for safe and convenient access.
Blindness & Low Vision
- The site features a safe footpath leading to the entrance for visitors who are blind or experience low vision.
- However, the pathway leading to the main entrance does not have tactile ground surface indicators.
- All flooring, including ramps and accessible footpaths, has non-slippery surfaces to help prevent accidents and falls.
Deafness & Limited Hearing
- Information is not available regarding whether activities are held in environments suitable for participants who are deaf or experience limited hearing (e.g., with clearly-displayed signs or graphics).
- There is no information on the ability to notify all visitors quickly and clearly in an emergency, or whether emergency alert systems produce both audio and visual warnings.
- Details regarding evacuation plans that consider individuals with deafness or limited hearing are currently missing.
Neurodiverse Support
- Activities held at Waitaha Reserve are considered suitable for participants who are neurodiverse, including those who experience epilepsy, dyspraxia, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, or autism.
- The venue is an open-air reserve, and as such, a designated breakout room or quiet space is not applicable.
- Further details on whether activities offer a wide range of sensory experiences or allow participants to easily remove themselves from activities if they experience sensory overload are not provided.
Service Animals
- All service animals are explicitly welcome on the premises of Waitaha Reserve.
- Service animals are allowed to enter all of the same spaces where their owners are welcome.
Opening hours
Open 24 hours