Bayfair Community Garden's rental stoush with the council was being sorted before their Facebook post went viral, says city councillor Leanne Brown today.

Leanne and councillor Steve Morris spoke with Jo Stock at the Bayfair Community Gardens last week and were in the process of dealing with Council staff about it, when a Facebook post went viral.

"It was not an invoice," says Leanne. "It was setting out what the Bayfair Community Garden will pay should the proposed changes go through the Long Term Plan process.

'It was saying why we are doing it and how we calculated it. For their particular garden it was $314."

'They had the opportunity to come and submit to the Long Term Plan but no they don't want to. And I understand that.”

Last year councillors decided to ensure all the community organisations were on an even playing field.

"Some were paying too much, some were paying too little and some weren't paying at all," says Leanne.

'We needed a standard framework of how we make it fair and equitable for all community organisations when they use council land.

'What we didn't do when we went through that process, is turn our minds to the community organisations that directly give back to the community a 100 per cent - and that's where the community garden falls into it.

"There's the Bayfair Community Garden, possibly The Rock garden at Papamoa and a handful of others that give back to the community, and are not used for the benefit of members.

'What we didn't do then is put in an exception policy for them,” says Leanne.

'When these notifications have gone out to the organisations we have become aware that we still have some work to do, and some discussion to have with the councillors about how we cater for those community organisations that hugely benefit the community.”

The organisations on council land have all received similar letters. Some will find the rent increasing, and others that it is decreasing.

The letter also explained the organisations could submit to the Long Term Plan if they did not support it, but the council did say there will be a staggered approach over three years for any increases.

'Most organisations would have plenty of time to apply for all kinds of funding and we know that in Tauranga City there is a multitude of funding opportunities,” says Leanne.

'I understand these guys don't have the energy to do that. I completely empathise with that.

'That's where we didn't drill down enough to the very small handful of organisations that would have been affected.

'We have got some work to do. We are going to have a discussion today about how we put an appropriate intervention policy in place that doesn't come down to case by case, but it comes down to a proper way of identifying who shouldn't (pay)”.

This is the first rent demand the Bayfair Community Garden has received in more than 20 years it has been growing vegetables for the foodbank.

Unlike other community gardens the Bayfair Community Garden started growing vegetables in the mid to late 90s, and is a not-for-profit supplier of veges.

"They are not a bunch of gardeners growing for their own families," says gardener Jo Stock. "They are a bunch of pensioners with an average age of about 75, and have to scrounge together to find the $1000 they need each year to keep running.

"The demand for $314 represents a third of their income," says Jo.

'They (Council) just decided to collect a bit more revenue seeing we are under the name of community garden. I've tried to tell them we are not in the same category, but they won't listen.

'We will have to change the name on the lease. Apparently we have one now. I've never seen it, never signed it.”

When the garden started in 1999 Jo says they had a verbal agreement with the Parks and Reserves manager at the time. He's no longer there.

The garden originally started on Hillier Centre property, which was later sold to Sommervale Retirement Village, forcing the move onto the Grenada Reserve.

"It was then a horse paddock, and fencing was needed to keep out the animals," says Jo.