A city council property portfolio review has revealed a popular Mount Maunganui concert venue is still up for sale.

Brewer's Field – the popular park officially known as Soper Reserve on Newton Street – was previously put on the market in 2012, but a backlash by patrons from neighbouring tavern Mount Brewing Co, and a surprise appearance by the Soper family, led to a council backdown.

Soper Reserve on Newton Street. Photo: File.

However, it slipped past public scrutiny when the reserve's inclusion in the current long term plan earlier this year was not advertised.

Soper family members said the land was originally gifted to Mount Maunganui Borough Council in the early 1970s, and the agreement included a buy-back option should council ever decide to sell.

There were 118 submissions opposing the sale of the $2.5 million Soper Reserve in 2012. This year there were four.

With the land now back on the market, it could mean Mount Borough Council's record of the transaction has not survived the 1989 amalgamation processes.

Staff advice to councillors is that only 1,358m2 of the 8,570m2 reserve was acquired by land exchange with FW and CZ Soper. It was not a gift.

Part of the land is the former Aerodrome Road, which was Maori land before that. Part of the reserve was vested as a reserve contribution for Port Services Ltd.

The field has become a popular summer events venue, but the staff report states resource consent for events expires in January 2016, and the consent holder has not sought to renew it.

The land's use as a concert venue is also being challenged with the council staff now saying the council Major Events Framework means there is not expected to be any need for open space at the Soper Reserve.

Soper family members turned up to the 2012 submissions hearings by chance. Fred Soper's daughters were scattering his ashes in early May 2012 beneath the pine tree near where he used to bury his race horses, when they heard the land was to be sold.

Councillors learned this week that seven properties have been removed from the ‘for sale' list, but both 61 and 95 Newton Street remain under investigation.

The properties removed from the sale list are a council property at Hayley Grove, 72 Links Avenue, 20 Rawhiti Street, 121-127 Fourth Avenue, 55 Merivale Raod and 32 Keilor Road.

Some properties won't sell due to location, or when the statutory process to make the land ready for sale outweighs the forecast return.

Some properties are to be sold in later years as the preparation for sale is going to take longer than originally expected. The council expects to make nearly $30 million from property sales over the next decade.