Wake up citizens of Tauranga, don't be fooled by what is plainly and simply a voluntary gifting proposal to squander TCC ratepayers' valuable public assets by some of your elected members and not in any way a mandatory statutory legal process or requirement.
Mount Recreation Reserve is presently freely available
for use by all Tauranga citizens (and visitors) so let's keep it that way.
The Matakana Island's Penepene Point Reserve 200 hectares try-on is in the same category and possibly could be required for future Port of Tauranga access or redevelopment. TCC councillors, Bay Regional councillors or council administrators who have foolishly taken part in any recent secret forums (without transparency or warnings) with Government representatives or vested Maori interests on implementating this hypocrisy,
could well face a backlash at the upcoming council elections.
If memoranda of understanding are negotiated prior to the elections they can simply be reversed and overturned later.
Recently ,TCC ratepayers spent about $4million-plus on upgrading and refurbishing the Mount Hot Pools, yet
the community never received any tangible input or contribution from Iwi.
And then, on cue percentage Maori rock up and say: 'Oh we think we would like to have title to that land”.
Mount reserve and the Mount improvements have been put in place by the hard work of past generations
of local citizens, both residents and ratepayers from all sectors. Tauranga citizens need to rise up and stop this nonsense once and for all. Be vigilant.

R Paterson, Matapihi.