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.

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 Conversation

For 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.

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