Meeting hears criticism of TCC’s decision to sell Marine Precinct

Tauranga City Council’s decision to sell the Marine Corps site at Sulfur Point was heavily criticized at a meeting this afternoon.

In May the Council announced the sale of the site, which was created to support local fishing and marine industries. The decision comes ahead of the first Tauranga City Council elections since 2019, which took place in July this year.

At the time of the sale, the previous council said it was “ensuring its future by delivering significant economic benefit to the wider community”.

As part of the sale, the buyer – a private, undisclosed buyer – must “develop the balance of the area with the intention of creating a purpose-built marine services facility” to provide a base for the region’s sector.

Mark Ngata of Moana New Zealand, the country’s largest seafood processor operating in Tauranga for more than 30 years, told councilors: “We are not leaving.”

“We think it’s unconscionable that we can put all this investment into this particular area for 30 years and it’s just us… and then take it with a pen and we’re gone, haere atu, see you later,” Ngata said.

New Zealand’s Moana is 100% owned by all 58 iwi companies, with Tauranga being its second largest port.

“We’re not leaving. You took our location, so you displaced us as a sector. So where do you put us? he asked.

Labor for Good Communications Director Erica Harvey also spoke at the meeting and told council members that the decision to sell the Marine Lot was “a disaster waiting to happen.”

“This deal is the latest in a long line of questionable decisions made behind the closed doors of this board. You claim to have consulted with iwi and the public, but iwi should have had the first right of refusal. From what we were told, that didn’t happen,” she said.

Harvey called for an independent investigation into the sale of the Offshore site “and all the other deals that sound similar, don’t add up and don’t make sense.”

Ngata and Harvey’s performances were met with applause.

Tauranga Mayor Mae Drysdale told those at the meeting he was “ready to work with you and everyone else to find solutions… I give you my word on that.”

“This is an unconditional agreement within the previous management structure. It’s important to understand this… we have to work constructively with all parties involved.”

He added: “Personally, I am not comfortable with the risk that is placed on the taxpayer for the return that we are being offered for this investment.”

Matua Otumoetui ward councilor Glen Crowther said he was “struggling to make a decision” about selling the site.

“We were all shocked to see this deal go through… We need to listen to our communities. I hope we learn from this,” he said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, all council members agreed to further investigate the sale of the Marine Lot.

At the time of the announcement, commission chair Anne Tolley said the offshore site was not a non-core business for the council.

“The sale of the Marine Precinct and development of the site will support Tauranga’s maritime industry and will also bring new business and opportunity to the city,” Mr Tolley said.

“Over the coming years, the Marine Precinct’s activities will focus more on high-value work such as the maintenance and repair of superyachts, and some traditional activities, such as mooring for our fishing fleet, will be moved to new, purpose-built facilities specifically designed for their needs. needs”.