Tauranga City councillors are being asked to go to the government to present concerns being expressed about the effects of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement on the people of the Bay of Plenty.

Tracy Livingston from the Tauranga TPPA Action Group told members of the City Vision Committee that the council is involved because of the adverse effects the TPPA will have on the region's people and environment.

The Tauranga TPPA Action Group are calling on council to take their concerns to the government.

'Some people might say that this has nothing to do with local governance,” says Tracy, 'but it will be our people and our environment that is being affected and there will be absolutely nothing you can do about it.”

'We will have signed away our sovereign rights to manage our country as we see fit.

'In the economic and environmental situation we find ourselves in, New Zealand must first look after its inhabitants, its environment and then its economy. The local government's role is to ensure that the needs of the local community are met.”

She urges the council to advocate to central government on behalf of the people of the city, to protect residents from the potential negative effects of the TPPA.

Tracy also invited councillors to a public meeting at the Wesley Hall on 17th Avenue tonight, where Australian Greg Rzesniowieki is speaking as part of an ongoing TPPA roadtrip on how the trade agreement will affect New Zealanders' health, wealth, sovereignty and environment.

'Tim Groser (trade minister) says that the TPPA could bring $2billion into NZ,” adds Tracy. 'But when our foreign trade is $50billion and our GDP is $300 billion, that is only a four per cent and a seven per cent increase respectively.

'It might cost us that in job losses, increased medical costs and environmental clean-up alone.

'New Zealand also needs to consider the $18 billion worth of trade we do with China under agreement. The TPPA manipulates New Zealand into a forceful economic alignment against China.”

Through the TPPA, the US wants to remove regulations on GMOs and food labelling. The US lead negotiator is on record stating that the US wants to use the negotiations to promote agricultural bio-technology within the negotiating countries.

'The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has a local ban in regard to GE,” adds Tracy. 'The TPPA may be able to over-ride this. New Zealanders have already said that we don't want GMO's in our country – the anti-GE rallies were the biggest since the anti-Nuclear rallies.

'If this agreement is so good for us all then let's have transparency. What has already been leaked is frightening and irreversible. A true cost-benefit analysis on how it will impact our futures and that of our children can only be done with an honest robust open discussion.

'Despite a media shut-down on TPPA information, the latest poll asking 'Do you support New Zealand's involvement in the TPPA?” has a resounding 1520 saying no, and a paltry 86 going for yes.”

The negotiations involving the 12 countries involved in the TPPA are secret, with the information on the agreement's contents come from Wikileaks, which released drafts of the TPPA in November 2013 and January 2014.

Tracy insists the effect on Pharmac will be huge. The TPPA requires surgical techniques, medical tests and treatments be patented, which will restrict their availability, especially in health systems that have limited resources.

Pharmaceutical and medical device corporations are seeking extensive patent protections through the TPPA using a process known as 'Evergreening”.

The TPPA gives 20 years of patent protection for pharmaceuticals and medical devices which can be renewed for another 20 years each time there is a change in an indication or delivery.

If a drug is indicated for headaches, but then the pharmaceutical company finds that it is also helpful for stomach cramps or makes it a capsule instead of a tablet, a new patent may be issued. Patents can be extended indefinitely under the TPPA.

Another aspect of the TPPA that concerns many is The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - an arbitration court hosted by the World Bank.

It allows international corporations to take legal action against individual governments if they believe that the country's domestic laws violate a trade agreement, says Tracy.

For example, Australia has been sued for billions of dollars by the tobacco company Philip Morris because of its regulation that cigarette boxes cannot promote logo and brand names.

American company Renco sued Peru for $800 million because its contract was not extended after the company's operations caused massive environmental and health damage. Last year in Canada, DowAgroSciences sued Quebec for banning a dangerous pesticide.

'Just the threat of a long and expensive court case with a rich multinational company can be enough to get governments to back down on environmental protection measures,” says Tracy.