The Whakatane District Council is appealing a High Court decision which approved the relocation of Environment Bay of Plenty's headquarters to Tauranga, says EBOP's chairperson John Cronin.

The appeal is an unnecessary cost to ratepayers when the High Court judge found the regional council's process in making its decision to be lawful, says John.
'Justice Duffy said we had followed the decision-making process of the Local Government Act correctly. Remember this is about the process not about the decision to relocate,” says John.
Environment Bay of Plenty purchased the Inland Revenue building at the top of Elizabeth Street in central Tauranga for its new headquarters.
John says Environment Bay of Plenty is prepared to work with the council on a cooperative approach to resolving the issue.
'We made a verbal agreement with Whakatane District Council, which would have resolved this matter but they have failed to meet their obligation, which means there will be a further lengthy legal process for all of us and our ratepayers to endure,” says John.
'With both the economic recession and the potential changes to local government structures, this is not the time for councils to be tied up in potentially expensive and futile court battles,” says John.