​

Union crusader Mahé Drysdale is no stranger to fighting for fairness. 

Just last year, he and the Athlete’s Co-operative - formed in mid-2022 - took High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) to the Employment Relations Authority, challenging how athletes were classified to deny them proper rights and protections. He stood up against backroom decisions, lack of consultation, and the exploitation of power structures. He demanded transparency, accountability, and a fair process.
​
As far back as 2016 - following his final Olympic appearance in the black singlet - Drysdale has been rallying rowers and cyclists together in a bid for a bigger slice of the funding/decision-making pie.

“We want a better environment for athletes, we want to be respected and we want to be a part of designing the system that delivers results in New Zealand and unfortunately at the moment that is not the case,” he said.

“We are told what, how and why we are doing things and so this is our opportunity to try and negotiate co-designing a system that we’re all happy with.”
He cautioned against rocking the boat when livelihoods were on the line. 

“If you’re against what they want you’re always liable of having that funding cut.”
The fact Drysdale only began to properly organise the athletes once he’d hung up his oars - including the $60,000 performance enhancement grant (PEGs) afforded Olympic gold medalists - is neither here nor there.

“Right now, I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m out of the sport,” he said. 

The athletes’ union’s litigation surged out to an early lead in the landmark employment case in early-2024 when authority member Rowan Anderson found the government agency was obligated to engage in good-faith collective bargaining with the cooperative representing around 60 elite cyclists and rowers. Government-funded HPSNZ struck back in January of this year, when the agency scored a key victory in overturning that decision in the Employment Court.

All signs point to Drysdale and his comrades not backing down, with strong indications the union he represents is keen to draw out the costly legal process even further with a subsequent challenge in the Court of Appeal. 

But now, as Tauranga’s mayor, he seems to have forgotten those principles.

The Marine Precinct sale, a multi-million dollar public asset handover, was pushed through without proper consultation, without an open bidding process, and at a price far below its real value. Local marine businesses, who have been the backbone of this industry, were effectively shut out of the decision-making process​.

Sound familiar?
When it was about Drysdale and his fellow athletes, he fought against this kind of treatment. He called out the system for sidelining the very people it was meant to support. Yet, under his leadership, Tauranga City Council (TCC) is doing the exact same thing, but this time, it’s small business owners and ratepayers who are being left in the dark.

Now Drysdale is singing a very different tune - in Facebook comment sections no less. Responding to a Tauranga ratepayer he advocated for making the best of a bad deal in lieu of backing out of a sale he and the council had every right to get out of once an injunction was granted by the High Court.

“We have so far taken the best course action for the interests of the city. If you are a Ratepayer how much of Ratepayers money would you be prepared to risk in cancelling the deal? 

“We will continue to make the best of it. From your comments you clearly don’t understand the full situation.”

A Bad Deal for Tauranga, A Great Deal for a Private Investor
Let’s be clear about what’s happening here:

• A $33 million public asset was sold for just $14 million, behind closed doors​
• The buyer didn’t have to go through an open market bidding process, meaning the community never got to see if there were better offers.
• Ratepayers are now footing the bill for an additional $30 million in infrastructure upgrades in the form of Pontoon structures that will benefit a private company, while local marine businesses are pushed out​
• The new owner can charge 35% in management fees and take 40% of the remaining revenue, while Tauranga carries all the financial risk​
• If the buyer flips the land later? They profit, while the community is left with nothing.

Would Drysdale have accepted this kind of deal if it were about athletes’ rights? Would he have allowed HPSNZ to hand-pick who succeeded and who got cut out? The answer is a resounding no; he took them to court (very likely repeatedly) instead.

So why, as mayor, is he actively defending a process that shuts out local businesses, locks the public out of decision-making, and leaves Tauranga residents paying the bill?
Fairness Can’t Be Selective
This is a defining moment for Mayor Drysdale.
If he truly believes in transparency, fair process, and protecting people from being shut out by powerful interests, then he should apply those same principles here. That means:

1. Supporting an independent investigation into the Marine Precinct sale to uncover how this deal was made and why better options were ignored​
2. Explaining why small business owners were excluded from a GENUINE consultation process, despite years of working within the precinct​
3. Committing to policy reforms that ensure public assets aren’t handed off in closed-door deals ever again.

Tauranga ratepayers, small business owners, and the marine industry deserve a mayor who applies the same fairness he fought for once his own athletic career was no longer on the line.

Drysdale is standing up for transparency for athletes. Will he do the same for Tauranga?

If not, the public has every right to ask: Was his fight about principles, or just about himself?
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More to the point, based on his leadership and public comments, is it he who clearly doesn’t understand the full situation?

- Erika Harvey is an advocate for transparency and fairness. This Op-Ed reflects her views on the importance of holding leaders accountable.

The sale of Tauranga’s marine precinct could cause “irreversible harm” and drive some businesses out of town, a court has been told.
Tauranga City Council’s $13.98 million sale of the precinct to Christchurch developer Sam Rofe was due to settle in November 2024, but was halted by a last-minute High Court interim injunction.
The injunction was filed by Sean Kelly, managing director of marine service company Pacific7, who owns land at the precinct.
Kelly also applied for a judicial review of the council’s processes relating to the transaction.

Justice Peter Andrew heard arguments in the case in the High Court at Tauranga on Tuesday before a packed public gallery in the main courtroom and an overflow courtroom.
The basis for Pacific7’s injunction was the displacement of the working boats that use the precinct and a lack of consultation with precinct users.
Pacific7’s lawyer Matthew King said fishing boats had a long history in Tauranga and had been using the area that became the precinct for decades.

A proposal for the fishing boats to instead work from Fisherman’s Wharf near Tauranga’s CBD was “not a feasible alternative” as some could not fit under the Tauranga Harbour Bridge, King said.
Evidence from some businesses was they would have to leave the area if they did not have access to a wharf north of the bridge.
This would mean a loss of jobs and loss of significant revenue for the city, King said.
“Commercial marine business is the fabric of our culture and this deal puts it at risk.”
Under the sale and purchase agreement, there was no guarantee for berthing for working boats at the precinct, King said.
King said he was currently not looking for a full judicial review of the sale but for the interim injunction to continue while the sale was examined.

Tauranga City Council’s lawyer Sally McKechnie said the key context was the marine precinct was a “non-core council” activity.
She said King’s submission was about commitments to the marine industry but much of this was focused on fishing.
“There is no statutory requirement for the council to provide a marine precinct at all or for particular users or in a particular form.
“It’s not a strategic asset of the council’s and it never has been.”
The council did not have to provide fishing or working boat facilities, McKechnie said.
There were no ongoing contractual commitments to the users or potential users of the current wharf, she said.
The council had acknowledged that the sale would impact on some current users, McKechnie said.
For the interim orders to continue, the council submitted Pacific7’s challenge did not have the merit to further delay the development of the precinct, she said.
There would be “further costs on the council to maintain an asset which is underperforming and not achieving the economic aspirations of the city”, McKechnie said.

The issue of whether the precinct users were consulted about the sale was discussed at length.
Lawyers for the purchaser argued numerous meetings were held with marine users and, over the years, the option to sell was openly discussed.
Lawyer Jeremy Johnson said: “The issue of the future of the [marine precinct] was much discussed in this community for years.”
Rofe approached the council in late 2023 with a proposal to buy the precinct with a vision of it becoming a “premier superyacht refit destination”.
King said when the decision was made to sell the precinct to Rofe, users were not made aware of it.
Kelly was overseas when the sale was announced publicly in May 2024 and did not find out until September when he returned, he said.
When the sale was entered into in May the council was run by a government-appointed commission. It was due to settle in November after the July election.
The newly elected council first discussed the sale at a meeting in October where users aired their frustrations with the sale and being forced to leave the precinct.
Justice Andrew reserved his decision and said the interim orders remained in the meantime.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Original Article: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/taurangas-marine-precinct-sale-could-cause-irreversible-harm-court-told/PRWZZUNDZBFCLK2F243F3O45YM/ 

It was an overflowing courtroom in the High Court at Tauranga on Tuesday as locals were told the sale of the Tauranga marine precinct should not have come as a surprise to residents who "were widely consulted".
Last year, Tauranga City Council sold the precinct to Christchurch developer Sam Rofe.
However, the sale was paused at the eleventh hour after an interim injunction was granted by the High Court.
Justice Andrew was hearing arguments on an application for a judicial review of the sale.
Lawyers for the purchaser argued that numerous meetings were held with marine users and over the years the option to sell was openly discussed.
Lawyer Shane Campbell said what the applicant, marine precinct user Pacific 7, really wanted to achieve was to pressure the council into cancelling the contract with their client.
"This proceeding has been brought on an admitted basis for trying to bring overt pressure to bear on elected officials to exercise what they say are cancellation rights," Campbell said.
Justice Andrews pushed back on this and asked whether the applicant was simply asking to hold Tauranga City Council to account.
"That's entirely legitimate isn't it, in a democracy?" the justice asked.
Outside the court, locals disagreed that there had been wide consultation and said they wanted justice for ratepayers.
"We haven't been included, there has been no consultation," said one.
Another said that it felt like a very small group of people were playing monopoly with the city.
Justice Andrew is expected to reserve his decision.

Tauranga's controversial marine precinct sale heads to the High Court today, where opponents of the sale are expected to pack out the courtroom.
Tauranga City Council (TCC) sold the precinct at Sulphur Point for $13.987m to Christchurch developer Sam Rofe last year. But the sale was paused at the eleventh hour after the High Court granted an interim injunction.
The court today is expected to hear arguments on whether to continue the interim injunction stopping the sale, which has been in place since November 2024.
RNZ understands it will also be argued by some parties that the judicial review proceedings raising concerns about TCC processes relating to the transaction should be thrown out.
Erika Harvey is a marine precinct user and director of public affairs for Lobby for Good. She said she was not against the selling of the marine precinct as such, but against the private sale process under which it was sold to Rofe for lower than valuation.
"It should be sold with public consultation, for the right amount of money - this deal is just a bad deal," she said.
She called for locals to meet at the High Court at Tauranga to 'be there. Be seen. Watch history unfold'.
Asked what she was hoped to achieve by organising a crowd, Harvey said she wanted people to be aware of the decisions being made in their town which affected them.
She believed the best outcome would be for the sale in its current form to not go through.
RNZ approached the purchaser's lawyers for comment, who replied that their client had none to make at this stage.
Local Tauranga MP Sam Uffindel said he was planning to attend the beginning of court proceedings today because the sale was of strong public interest.
"(It's) one I've been vocal on, and one that I'm determined to see TCC held accountable for."
Tauranga City Council spokesperson Christine Jones said the council will be represented by their lawyers in court on Tuesday.

Article: ​https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542871/tauranga-s-marine-precinct-sale-goes-to-the-high-court

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell is taking the city's council to the Ombudsman after he said they failed to give satisfactory answers to an information request over the contentious sale of the city's marine precinct.
Uffindell is also urging other residents unhappy with the council's transparency to do the same.
The council has received 20 requests for information under the Local Government Official Information And Meetings Act (LGOIMA) since April, asking for information about how the decision to sell the land came about.
Only one of these has been provided an answer in full.
Eleven had information partially or completely withheld while another five were told to find the information online from what had already been made public. The council was still working on three requests.
Uffindell was one of the 20 who asked for information and he said these figures were proof of his own concerns about the process.
The council at first directed Uffindell to the information already made public through other LGOIMA requests. Uffindell replied that he did not feel it answered his questions and then waited to hear back.
After 20 working days from his request, RNZ approached Tauranga City Council to ask if they were planning to respond to Uffindell. He received a response from the council two days later, refusing part of his request and pointing him to already public information for the remainder.
He said he was not happy with this response.
"I feel that it is pretty light touch, that they have put up a bunch of somewhat generic information... but to the substantive request I don't think it's been adequately addressed."
He said it felt like the council was giving out crumbs and hoping people will go away. He has had several voters come to him also complaining about the way their LGOIMA requests have been responded to.
As an example, he pointed to one resident's request for correspondence between key staff at the council and the developers who bought the land.
"[TCC] are refusing the request to provide this information [on the grounds] it is substantial. I find that really concerning. In fact, I find, with all the public criticism about the questions being asked, their unwillingness to be transparent about communication between senior council staff, including the chief executive, and the key developers, absolutely appalling," said Uffindell.
He said he was going to seek an investigation by the Ombudsman into the council's response to his request and he was telling constituents who complain to him to also approach the Ombudsman.
Uffindell has called for the mayor and councillors to demand the chief executive address the situation and he will be meeting mayor Mahe Drysdale today to directly raise this as a concern with him.
"TCC is doing itself a huge disservice, in my opinion, by not being more transparent and open with the public."
In a statement, the council's democracy services team leader Kath Norris said the council was happy with the way marine precinct LGOIMA requests were being responded to.
"Council is satisfied that all official information requests about the Marine Precinct have been responded to in accordance with LGOIMA and within the prescribed timeframes set in the legislation," she said.
Norris suggested that the problem was often with the request, not the way it was responded to.
"We note that when very broad requests are received, it is appropriate to ask for the request to be refined. Once the requester refines the original request, it is then treated as a new request, replacing the original one. This restarts the statutory time limit for LGOIMA."
Uffindell said it was really important that the public had a high level of trust in the council.
"My strong recommendation is for the mayor and councillors to call in the [chief executive] and made it very clear to him that he and his staff need to be absolutely upfront with the people of Tauranga," he said. 
Article: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/537093/tauranga-council-giving-out-crumbs-of-information-mp 

The proposed sale of the marine precinct took another turn last week when Tauranga City Council was served with judicial review proceedings and the High Court granted an interim injunction to prevent the sale from being completed.
RNZ has put together a timeline of the twists and turns involved with the sale.
2004: Tauranga council buys the marine precinct land. RNZ has asked the council what price it paid, however, we have been told an official information request will be needed to obtain that information.
2014: Council secured a $5 million grant from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Regional infrastructure Fund to develop the marine precinct into a facility to support the marine industry in Tauranga.
December 2020: Tauranga council is sacked by the government after internal dysfunction.
3 July 2023: Council obtained a valuation of the land, followed by a second valuation in December of that year. When including improvements to the land the midpoint valuation was $22.144 million.
August 2023: Council's chief executive Marty Grenfell met with developer Rupert Curry and discussed development opportunities in the city.
Christchurch developer Sam Rofe then made contact with council via Curry with a proposal to purchase the marine precinct. He had a vision for the marine precinct "to emerge as the premier superyacht refit destination, where luxury meets precision, and dreams are meticulously crafted into reality" (council was still under the management of commissioners).
The land was never advertised by the council as being for sale on the open market.
27 November 2023: In a closed-door meeting, the commissioners decided to progress negotiations to sell the marine precinct to Rofe.
27 March 2024: Council and Rofe signed a non-binding term sheet which set out the proposed commercial terms.
8 April 2024: In a closed-door meeting, the commissioners approved the key terms of sale. This included a sale price of $13m and a commitment by council to fund the cost of the development of an alongside wharf and a replacement of the existing Bridge Wharf.
After this meeting, the term sheet was formalised into interdependent agreements for sale and purchase for the marine precinct land and Vessel Works business.
Monday, 20 May 2024: In a closed-door meeting, the commissioners approved up to $29.2m for wharf redevelopment. In addition, council approved up to $7.8m to replace Fishermans Wharf.
Council's meeting agenda notes that there has been a reduction in the expected proceeds for the marine precinct from $33m to $13m.
20 July 2024: Tauranga city holds a local election, returning democratic power to councillors and the mayor.
23 October 2024: At an extraordinary meeting of the council several members of the public speak against the sale, including Mark Ngata, general manager of Moana New Zealand which operates at the port. Roger Rawlinson, who owns seven boats at the marine, jumped up and spoke outside of the public forum time, shutting down attempts by the mayor to remind him of meeting process. Video of this was spread widely online.
4 November 2024: Mayor Mahe Drysdale speaks out against abuse being suffered by council staff online, saying he was concerned it created an unreasonable situation for individual staff and the organisation.
12 November 2024: Tauranga-based ACT MP Cameron Luxton said he has written to the Auditor-General, raising concerns about the sale and requesting an investigation.
MP Sam Uffindell is among those concerned about the council's deal. 
14 November 2024: Local MP Sam Uffindell said [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/534387/the-deal-sucks-mps-question-tauranga-marine-precinct-sale
he went to see the auditor general] and asked that the sale be investigated.
15 November 2024: Mayor Drysdale said he had written to the Office of the Auditor-General to express full support for any review or investigation.
19 November 2024: RNZ asked the auditor general if they were planning to review the sale. A spokesperson for the Office of the Auditor-General confirmed they had received correspondence asking them to look at investigating this issue and are considering the issues raised.
21 November 2024: The High Court granted an interim injunction to prevent the sale from being completed after Sean Kelly, managing director of Pacific7 (a company currently based at the precinct) filed an injunction.
25 November 2024: Tauranga council holds an emergency closed door meeting to discuss the judicial review. Drysdale said the council was seeking further legal advice and information before an informed decision was made.
A court date to hear the injunction is yet to be set.
29 November 2024: Tauranga  community advocacy organisation, Lobby for Good, wrote to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) asking it to urgently investigate the sale of the marine precinct. It said the  lack of transparency in the deal suggested possible deliberate undervaluation or improper conduct.
3 December 2024: The SFO confirmed to RNZ that it has received a complaint in relation to Tauranga's Marine Precinct. It said it could not comment on whether an investigation is likely to eventuate. 

Original Article: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535145/a-timeline-of-tauranga-s-controversial-marine-precinct-sale 

Tauranga City Council has released a range of previously private documents and agendas from closed-door meetings relating to the controversial sale of the marine precinct.
The sale of the precinct has been halted at the eleventh hour a week ago after current users filed an injunction.
The High Court granted an interim injunction, which prevented the sale from being completed, Mayor Mahé Drysdale said in a statement.
The council was also served with judicial review proceedings that raised concerns about the council's processes relating to the transaction.
It was seeking information and legal advice, Drysdale said.
Here's some of what RNZ has learnt from those documents.
A property developer brought the deal to the councilOn 2 August 2023, council's chief executive Marty Grenfell met with developer Rupert Curry and discussed development opportunities in the city.
A couple of weeks later, Curry travelled with Christchurch developer Sam Rofe to Tauranga to show Rofe the marine precinct.
The land has never been advertised by the council as being for sale on the open market.
On 21 August, Curry wrote to Grenfell saying the two "have a bit of a vision with this undeveloped site as detailed in his email below, If [sic] of interest would you be keen to meet Sam?"
Grenfell said he would be "very happy" to meet Rofe.
Council knew the process was riskyWhen taking options to the commissioners, a public-excluded council agenda from 8 April 2024 recommended a "direct, non-competitive negotiation and divestment process with Sam Rofe" despite noting the risk that council might be challenged for not providing an open process and that it meant council wouldn't really know what the market value for the land was.
The report had a second option, going to open market to sell the land, but felt there would be a risk that Rofe might withdraw his offer and council might in turn not get another favourable one.
Council obtained two valuations of the land - Rofe's offer was much lowerCouncil obtained a valuation of the land in July 2023, followed by a second valuation in December of that year.
When including improvements to the land the midpoint valuation was $22.144 million.
A public-excluded council agenda from 8 April 2024, said that "the purchaser has agreed to align his offer with the valuation mid-point data".
25 Hikuwai Place, valued at $6.963m was excluded from the sale and Rofe was "not willing to pay the harbour front premium" of $3.3m " that was included in one of the valuations "as his view is that this is appropriate for residential but not an industrial precinct".
The land was sold to Rofe for $13m.
The council could have consulted on the sale - but didn'tAs part of the 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan (LTP) Amendment, council talked about the potential sale of non-core council assets to fund the new civic precinct in the city centre, Te Manawataki o Te Papa.
The marine precinct was specifically mentioned as one of the assets that might be considered for sale. It was noted that it was likely further consultation would be undertaken with key stakeholders prior to any disposal.
However, the public-excluded council agenda from 8 April 2024 said that the marine precinct was not considered a strategic asset so its sale did not need to go through the LTP consultation process.
The report said it did consult with two stakeholders, but did not name them.
It also said that in 2022 the council had engaged consultants to look at future options for the marine precinct, which included possible sale or lease, and that could be considered as consulting with the community.
"In short, council can decide that no further consultation is required," the report said.

​Original Article: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535062/property-developer-took-marine-precinct-idea-to-council-newly-released-documents-show 

​The sale of Tauranga’s Marine Precinct has been temporarily stalled by the High Court after an interim injunction was officially filed late last night by Pacific 7 Limited. This action successfully halted the settlement, which was scheduled for today, 22nd November. Sean Kelly of Pacific 7, supported by an affidavit from Erika Harvey on behalf of affected marine businesses, took this decisive step to safeguard the community’s interests and the future of local marine businesses.
 
Having obtained the Sale and Purchase Agreement via a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request, Kelly and his legal team felt compelled to act. “This decision wasn’t made lightly,” said Kelly. “We now have clarity about what’s at stake, and it’s our responsibility to protect the interests of our community and industry.”
 
Matthew King, who is part of Pacific 7’s legal team, elaborated: “Pacific 7’s main argument is that Council knew before entering into the agreement to sell the Marine Precinct that many of the Marine Precinct Users would be displaced as a result of the proposed sale. Before deciding to go ahead with the sale, Council should have consulted with those Marine Precinct Users to understand what benefits they were bringing to the local economy and whether it was even possible or feasible to relocate them within the Tauranga City Harbour precinct. Pacific 7 further states that the decision to sell places considerable risk to the future of our local fishing and marine service industries.
 
This reflects concerns raised by central and local MPs who, in recent days, have voiced their own objections to the Commissioners’ decision to sell the Marine Precinct.
 
The Tauranga City Council did not oppose interim orders being made on a temporary basis. This pause allows the community and council to review the circumstances of the sale more thoroughly. “We’re encouraged by the council’s willingness to take this step,” said Harvey. “It reinforces their promise to prioritise accountability and collaboration moving forward.”
 
A Path Toward Accountability
Despite this development, the ongoing investigation by the Auditor-General remains critical. Harvey stressed the importance of examining how this deal unfolded and ensuring better governance practices in the future.
“This sale has been a wake-up call,” she said. “It’s about ensuring public assets are managed responsibly and that decisions reflect ratepayers’ interests.”
 
Looking Ahead
Kelly, Harvey, and the newly elected council members are optimistic about developing a more productive working relationship. “This injunction gives everyone the opportunity to take a breath and focus on the best path forward for the Marine Precinct and those who rely on it,” added Kelly. “We see this as the beginning of a process to ensure fairness and community-driven solutions.”
 
The current users of Tauranga’s Marine Precinct remain committed to transparency and creating a more genuine and collaborative partnership with council, iwi, and the wider community. Together, they see these steps as a vital opportunity to secure a sustainable, inclusive, and community-driven future for the Marine Precinct and its stakeholders.

Wednesday, 13 November 2024, 12:05 pm
Press Release: Lobby for Good

Tauranga, NZ – Calls for transparency around the controversial sale of Tauranga’s Marine Precinct are gaining momentum, with National MP Sam Uffindell and ACT MP Cameron Luxton joining Erika Harvey, Director of Public Affairs at Lobby for Good, to push for an Auditor-General investigation into Tauranga City Council. This cross-party support has brought together political leaders, small business owners, and the wider Tauranga community, to protect public interests and demand better accountability and transparency in council operations.
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Erika Harvey, whose organisation Lobby for Good is dedicated to bridging the gap between decision-makers and communities, believes the Marine Precinct sale highlights a pressing need for stronger rules on local government transparency. “This sale, and the lack of information surrounding it, shows exactly why we need better regulations to hold council staff and it’s leadership more accountable,” Harvey said.” “Ratepayers deserve a council that serves them, not one that makes backroom deals selling off public assets to private interests at a discount price.”

The Marine Precinct sale, sold for nearly $14 million despite an assessed worth of $33 million including assets, has left many questioning the council’s handling of public resources. With ratepayers on the hook for an additional $29+ million in wharf upgrades that will benefit a private investor, the lack of consultation and accountability has fuelled widespread concern. Harvey first voiced her call for an investigation at the Tauranga City Council’s public meeting on 23 October, followed by a formal request to the Auditor-General on 2 November. Her call was soon echoed by Uffindell and Luxton, who stressed the importance of public trust and openness in local governance.

A Troubling Lack of Transparency in Local Government.
Harvey has been seeking clear answers from Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Tauranga’s newly elected council members, but their responses have been vague and noncommittal. This lack of openness has only fueled community frustration, especially among small business owners in the Marine Precinct, who are now left uncertain about their future access to the site.

“Since 2016, I’ve spent over 2,600 hours working with council officials to protect local businesses, keep the precinct accessible to the marine industry, and stays within community hands,” Harvey stated. “This sale puts years of work and trust at risk. It’s part of a larger pattern of decisions being made without public oversight or input. Local government is funded by ratepayers, so its decisions should be fully transparent and serve the people who pay for them.”

Harvey points to the sale as an example of why New Zealand needs stronger regulations around local government decision-making. “It’s almost impossible to trace how this deal came together, who was involved, and why key protections for local businesses were overlooked,” she said. “We need proper rules and oversight so ratepayers can see exactly where their money is going and ensure its spent in their best interests, not handed off to private ventures.”

Legal Action to Protect Public Assets
Supporting the push for transparency, local advocate Sean Kelly has filed an injunction to halt the sale until a thorough investigation can be conducted. “This injunction is critical,” Harvey said. “It gives us the chance to get clear answers and hold council officials accountable before any more irreversible decisions are made. The people of Tauranga deserve to know why public assets are being sold at a discount and why ratepayers are now facing millions in added costs to support a private venture.”

A Call for Local Government Reform
Lobby for Good wants to see true local government reform, focusing on greater transparency and accountability in how councils make decisions that affect their communities. Harvey argues that the Marine Precinct sale is a clear example of the need for these reforms. “The public has a right to know who is making these decisions and why,” she said. “When councils operate in secrecy, it erodes public trust and leaves us vulnerable to poor management of our assets.”

Harvey’s message is resonating with Tauranga residents, many of whom are rallying around her call for change. “This is about setting a new standard for transparency and accountability in local government,” she emphasised. “If we can’t trace how a decision of this scale was made, we need to ask ourselves what other decisions might be slipping through the cracks. It’s time to reform the way councils operate, so they truly serve the communities they’re funded by.”

A Movement for Change
With only days remaining before the sale’s settlement date on 22 November, Harvey and her supporters are urging the council to honour its duty to the public by addressing critical questions around the sale’s financial impact, the lack of open-market bidding, and protections for local businesses. “We need rules that ensure councils are working openly and responsibly,” Harvey said. “This community is strong and determined, and we’re standing together to push for the change that’s so clearly needed.”

Join the ConversationFor updates on this story, follow Erika Harvey’s advocacy on Facebook at www.Facebook.co.nz/ErikaHarveyNZ, and stay informed on the latest news. This movement is a powerful reminder that when communities stand together, real change is within reach.