This winter hundreds of children and adults are thrashing around the Western Ave Sportground in Omokoroa playing their respective sport codes.

But there's nowhere to get changed, cook a shared hot lunch or host an after-function in the Omokoroa Sports & Recreation Society's hall on-site.

'The existing building has no toilets, no changing facilities and just a sink in the corner in a big open area,” says Omokoroa Sports & Recreation Society chair Tim Maurice.

'It has worked for the last 15 years or so but now, as Omokoroa has got bigger, we need a bigger and better space with changing rooms, toilets and a proper kitchen area where people can cater for functions.”

As result, Tim and the society are planning a new pavilion for the sportground – for those who play games outside and indoors.

Tim says 18 groups under the society's umbrella use the current building in one way or another.

Mahjong, bridge, table tennis, boxing are indoors – so a new plan needs to cater for these groups and their equipment.

Outside, on Western Ave Sportsground, a raft of sport codes use the grass – they need changing rooms and toilets for their games, practices and functions.

'We have athletics, soccer – junior and adult – rippa rugby, cricket, volleyball and more.

'This is to be the only building on-site – we'll remove this old hall – so the new pavilion will need to cater to all of these different groups.

Tim says every Saturday morning during winter Western Ave is filled to the brim with sport-players – without changing rooms or an area to grab a hot drink.

'I play social soccer there on a Sunday – and the lack of changing rooms makes it quite hard to develop sport there.

'Retirees right through to young children use the hall – and yes, we do have settlers' hall nearby on Omokoroa Rd but that's booked a lot of them time and we have a letter of support from them saying we need more meeting space on the peninsula.”

Concept plans have been drawn – the new pavilion will be two-storeys. 'The bottom level will have storage space. We surveyed user groups and it came out athletics, soccer and tennis need storage space. And there will be changing rooms and public toilets below as well.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has funds assigned for the toilets, says Tim, which will be contributed to the pavilion build.

'Upstairs will be two rooms – one large activity-type room, about 200m2, for table tennis, boxing etc.

'A smaller 80m2 room off to the side will be for playing cards, functions etc – between will be a kitchen which can be accessed from both sides.”

Watkin Hughes has estimated the new pavilion will cost $700,000 to $900,000.

'It's only a concept plan, so we don't know the exact amount. The thing is we have to get actual plans drawn up and builder quotes to apply for funds from funding agencies.”

Tim says the pavilion is in WBOPDC's Long Term Plan with the earmarked $100,000. 'Omokoroa Community Board has also put aside $100,000 for the new building.”

The next step is to raise $16,000 to get plans drawn up by an architect, says Tim.

'Then we can take these plans to builders – once we get a price we can apply for funding.”

Tim says the society is fundraising too – so far about $14,000 has been raised of the $16,000 needed to get plans drawn up. Tim hopes to get the plans drawn up in the new few months.

A build timeline is unknown but would be nice next year. Even better would be before the winter sport season.

'But we can make it a staged project project – so we'll try to get the bottom level done first and one of the top rooms done.

'It will depend on how much fund grants and fundraising we can get.”

The old hall on-site was built by Wayne Wright, Patrick Van Loghem and Richard Francis.

Then a society was created to run the building.

The old hall will be removed and the new pavilion will be placed into the bank – to have a view of the top field but also to make way for six tennis courts planned for the sportsground.