“In the past few weeks, there have been a number of comments about property-related transactions entered into by Tauranga City Council (TCC), primarily during the time of the Commission. Some of these comments include unsupported allegations which have unfairly and unjustifiably targeted Council staff.

I am keen to ensure the transparency and legitimacy of all significant recent property-related transactions and Council Chief Executive Marty Grenfell is fully-supportive of that approach. Additionally, given the concerning nature of some of the narrative on various media platforms and public behaviour relating to this matter, I am conscious that this is creating an unreasonable situation for individual staff members and the organisation as whole.

In order to address these property-related concerns, and to ensure that staff are protected and treated in a fair and appropriate manner, work is being undertaken to clarify and resolve any concerns, with the intent of reporting back to the Council on the probity of the transactions and compliance with TCC’s Acquisitions and Disposals Policy and the Local Government Act.”

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