Whakatāne District Council has decided against selling an historic cottage and the base of the volunteer fire brigade, despite the two properties being surplus to its needs.
The council has voted to keep two of the three properties it consulted on selling: the former harbourmaster's house at 1a Muriwai Drive and the Eastern Bay Rural Fire Depot at 42 Te Tahi Street.
A third property, 3257 square metres of farmland in Waimana, will be sold.
Three bedroom home worth almost $1.8m
The harbourmaster's house, estimated to be worth $1.825 million, was acquired by the Whakatāne Harbour Board in 1920 under the Public Works Act.
It was held as a signal station with a home for the harbourmaster built on the site.
As a former harbour board property, any sale proceeds would need to be returned to the Harbour Fund.
The council receives rent for the three-bedroom home through a residential tenancy.
However, a report to the council said the rent doesn't reflect the property's high value due to the home's condition.
A report, required under Section 40 of the Public Works Act, accepted by the council in May 2025, confirmed it was "impractical to offer the property back to the prior owner".
A report to a recent meeting the council "may choose to direct staff to offer property to Ngāti Awa first at market value".
The council engaged with Ngāti Hokopu and Ngāi Taiwhakaea hapū about the possible sales, separate to public consultation.
The hapū provided confidential feedback, which was discussed in a public excluded segment of the meeting before the decision was made not to sell.
'Council should feel proud to lease this property to FENZ'
The Te Tahi Street property, valued at $760,000, was purchased by the council in 1981. It has served as the operational base for the Eastern Bay Volunteer Fire Brigade, previously a council function, for more than 50 years.
The council receives rent from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) at commercial rates. Sale of the property would have been subject to continuing the existing lease.
FENZ was asked if it would have an interest in purchasing the property but were not able to confirm this in the consultation timeframe.
The Eastern Bay Volunteer Fire Brigade made a submission against selling the property and asked the council to withdraw it from its surplus property disposal list.
"Council should feel proud to lease this property to FENZ, as it demonstrates civic support for an essential community service," the submission stated.
"The long-term value to the community is far greater than any short-term financial return from selling the property."
Councillor Gavin Dennis, who is fire chief at Matatā Volunteer Fire Brigade, spoke against selling the building.
"These are our rural firefighters. Looking forward to summer, they've got their minds focused on a horrific season and I don't think we need to put them under the pressure of not knowing whether they are going to have to shift," Dennis said.
"We need to let them concentrate on what they're going to have to do."
Councillor Toni Boynton said she believed both the Muriwai Drive and Waimana properties were previously raupatu (confiscated) land acquired by the Government and subsequently passed over to the council.
"The value of that land in today's terms is a representation of the wealth that has been attained by the council and ratepayers at the dispossession of land of the mana whenua for both Ngāti Awa and Ngāi Tūhoe.
Councillors Lesley Immink and Wilson James voted against the motion to retain the properties.
"While I respect the valuable role FENZ play at Te Tahi Street, I don't see why that couldn't continue - just with a new landlord," Immink said.
She said she didn't want to spend any further council money on the two properties.
The majority vote was to retain the two properties and revisit the possibility to dispose of the properties in the future.
