City councillors have been given something to ponder after attempts to sell off a 1.5 hectare block of council-owned land in Mount Maunganui were labelled ‘disingenuous' and described as ‘selling one thing off to pay for another'.

Members of the public and affected organisations had their chance to speak this afternoon as the council looks into development options for the block of land at 384-410 Maunganui Road.

The block of land at 384-410 Maunganui Road. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

But Mount resident Stephen Bird believes the consultation process is masking the real reason for the consultation – for Zespri to buy the whole block and develop the site as its long term headquarters.

'To me it's become clear that's not what it's about at all,” says Stephen. 'It's disingenuous the way it's been presented. I'm in two minds whether that's [Zespri's ambitions] the driving factor behind this strategic view.”

He calls into question council's process and a lack of information provided to the public, including a lack of evidence to suggest that selling this asset would reduce debt or contain rates.

Stephen, along with a number of others speaking to council, believes the green space area is unique and offers a slightly different take on it being an amenity.

He says not every green space area needs to hold plans for an aquarium or a skate park, and councillors need to think carefully as this area is a big asset for the Tauranga community.

'You aren't going to get a chance for another if it sells,” he adds. 'You need to hold on to things that you have got rather than flog them off.”

The TCC says it is considering selling the site to reduce its debt. According to council, the capital land value is $11.8m, while the land value sits at $6.1m. The debt is $380 million at present.

The public is firmly opposed to Zespri taking over the whole block.

Feedback on the council's proposal to look at development options for the block of land resulted in 149 of the 194 submitters opposing the sale of the land which includes a grassed, flat area at the Matai Street end, used by the popular Little Big Markets.

Zespri's submission is to develop the site in three blocks - a 1100m2 building where the library is currently housed, a 1700m2 office block facing Maunganui Road and an ‘H' shaped 2250m2 building at the Matai Street end.

Submitters opposed to the kiwifruit marketing board's move are suggesting Zespri can instead take over the former Cosmopolitan Club building at the other end of Miro Street, or it can move to Te Puke.

With the opening of the TEL later this year, Te Puke will be closer to the port and the airport, and even closer to the bulk of its growers in Te Puke.

Simon Chisholm, Zespri general manger of supply chain development says the company has four possible sites for their expanded HQ.

Former Mount Maunganui mayor Wayne Moultrie accused Tauranga City Council of ‘deliberate incremental destruction of the public reserve bought, paid for, and maintained by the former residents of Mount Maunganui.'

Wayne was mayor of Mount Maunganui in 1989 when the former borough was forcibly amalgamated with Tauranga City. The former council chambers, which have housed Zespri since 2001, were opened in 1986.

The Mount Maunganui library and Plunket Pre-school were already established on the reserve at that time.

The civic reserve was zoned under the Mount Maunganui Borough Council, with an underlying commercial B zone which was never activated by the borough.

It was activated by Tauranga City Council, enabling commercial entities like Zespri to operate on the reserve.

Little, if any, consultation was undertaken with the public of Mount Maunganui prior to the lease being granted to Zespri, says Wayne.

'My concern is the streets surrounding the former civic reserve are used by Zespri staff for parking,” he says.

'You can't get a parking spot along the main road - so much for library visitors, so much for shoppers.

'Now council's response to that as I understand it has been to construct a car park on part of the former Civic Reserve and allow temporary buildings to be moved on site to meet the accommodation needs of Zespri.”

Resident Sue Hodkinson recommended Zespri move to Te Puke, the library move into the former Zespri building and the library building be used as part of a permanent home for the Little Big Markets, which she says has brought the community together over the park.

'This park has importance in the future,” says Sue. 'This park has views on Mauao. It is difficult to have views of the Mount if you live at the Mount.”

She says the park is a small gem of a place where children can play without risk to property.

Simon Chisholm was asked by Mayor Stuart Crosby to check whether the government-established single desk kiwifruit marketer is permitted to own property as it is not its core business.

The Zespri suggestion that the site be developed to retain the library and Plunket Pre-school is only a concept at this stage.

Zespri hasn't approach the library or the pre-school, and Simon expects those sorts of discussions are more likely to take place after the council makes a decision to sell.

He then expects commercial negotiations to follow, with various people interested in buying the site.

In reply to a question about whether Zespri could develop the concept under a lease, Simon says for Zespri the important consideration is not owning the land.

'It's not core business,” he says, 'but we do want to be in control of our own destiny.

'It's our brand and protecting that brand is very important.”

'For Zespri it means the other users on the site have to reflect the health and lifestyle values Zespri sees associated with the brand.”