Opponents of a plan to move Environment Bay of Plenty's headquarters from Whakatane to Tauranga are stepping up their fight to stop the shift.
The Eastern Bay Regional Focus Group, established after the regional council announced the plan late last year, is launching a media campaign to encourage
people to make submissions opposing the move.
The group plans to run advertisements in Bay of Plenty newspapers in the next 10 days and distribute 20,000 brochures throughout the region.
It has also set up a website, www.fightingforwhakatane.org.nz
Environment Bay of Plenty, one of Whakatane's biggest employers, voted in December to move to Tauranga. It has estimated the cost at almost $23 million, about $2 million of which would be spent on staff redundancies.
Most of the money - $15.4 million - would pay for a new head office in Tauranga.
A Deloitte report prepared for the council estimated the eastern Bay of Plenty economy would lose $4.3 million annually.
Opponents say the loss of valued members of the community would have a heavy effect on Whakatane and the Eastern Bay.
Public submissions on the proposal close on May 2 and hearings will be held later in the month before a final decision on June 21.
