Christian Hoff-Nielsen under investigation for allegedly running new bike business illegally on Waiheke

Embattled businessman Christian Hoff-Nielsen is under investigation for allegedly running his new bike rental company illegally outside a public library and on the Waiheke Island ferry wharf.

Hoff-Nielsen’s bike rental business, “Woo Hoo Trading”, has been spotted trading in public areas across Waiheke.

One electric bike was snapped parked on the footpath outside businesses on Waiheke Island, with a cardboard sign saying “Hire me” with a contact number and Hoff-Nielsen‘s new business name, “Woohoo NZ”.

The Herald contacted Auckland Council to ask if Hoff-Neilsen had a permit or the correct licensing to conduct business on the footpath.

Christian Hoff-Nielsen and a bicycle for hire on Waiheke Island. Composite photo / NZME

The council said in a statement: “As this is under active investigation, we are not able to comment at this time.

“Trading in a public place is covered by the Public Trading, Events and Filming Bylaw 2022.”

Christian Hoff-Nielsen told the Herald it was his customers who had parked the bikes outside the library and on the footpath.

“We’ve never parked bikes in public places. If anything, I’d say that would be quite dangerous. They’d be stolen.”

A rental bike, labelled as owned by "Woohoo NZ", left on the footpath outside businesses on Waiheke Island.

Hoff-Nielsen admitted at least one bike was regularly parked on the footpath outside the liquor store in Waiheke, and one in the town centre.

“We actually have an agreement there with the liquor store owner, who’s a very good store friend of ours, and who actually rides that bike as well when he needs to go and get stuff, you’ll see it’s quite a special bike.

“We do have one bike right in the centre of town, where people often ask for a bike.”

Hoff-Nielsen said he used the Waiheke wharf as a meeting spot for customers but did not leave his bikes there, and claimed it was his competitor who was illegally doing business in the area.

“Our competitor ... he takes up at least half the wharf with his bikes on the public space. And the local board actually cancelled his licence to occupy that wharf.

“AT [Auckland Transport] runs the wharf, and they’ve let him still park the bikes in public space, and rent them out from there.

“The sad truth is that actually, part of the reason why we’re bashed is that [Auckland Transport] gave a very clear advantage to a competitor,” Hoff-Nielsen said.

Auckland Council said the relevant council authorities are not investigating the competitor bike business that Hoff-Nielsen mentioned and have not received any complaints about this company.

“If they were to receive a complaint, they would investigate,” the council said.

A member of the public took to Facebook to complain about rental bikes, understood to be owned by Christian Hoff-Nielsen, taking up public bike racks.

Penalties can range from issuing a bylaw breach notice and/or seizure to court action for continued noncompliance. A person convicted of an offence against the bylaw could be fined up to $20,000.

Hoff-Nielsen’s previous business E Cycles NZ Ltd, trading as Bikes and Beyond, owed Inland Revenue and former employees more than $400,000 when it went into voluntary liquidation on July 16.

A member of the public posted a picture of the bikes parked outside a library on the Waiheke Community Facebook Page.

“What is going on here? These look like rental bikes, all locked to each other on the public bike racks outside the library, leaving precisely one free for, um, the public.”

Waiheke Local Board chairwoman Cath Handley referred Herald queries about the bikes to Auckland Council and Auckland Transport.

“Nobody has complained to the board that I’m aware of, and we haven’t spoken to Mr Neilson,” she said.

Hoff-Nielsen is now listed as the director and only shareholder of a new business, Woohoo Trading Ltd, which New Zealand Companies Office records show was registered on October 17.

“I’ve started a much smaller business, and I’m only on my own,” Hoff-Nielsen told the Herald in October.

His return to business dismayed former employees, who say he still owes them money, but Hoff-Nielsen said he needs to make money somehow.

He said his new “bicycle hiring” business would have five bikes and be located on Waiheke Island — with no employees apart from himself.

His previous business had 50 bikes when it was put into liquidation.

“Five bikes is not a lot to buy off the liquidator ... the liquidator was trying to sell this in the middle of winter.

“I think I bought half of the bikes for like, $300 each ... and $300 is literally free rentals.

“It just made so much sense to not search for something that I needed to learn or venture into, and just ... do 10% of what I did before.”

Renting five bikes every day on Waiheke Island would mean a profit of about $2000 a week, which would allow his “family to pay rent and have bread on our table,” he said.

Darleen Tana's husband Christian Hoff-Nielsen leaving the Auckland District Court in August. Photo / Alex Burton

Hoff-Nielsen maintains there is “limited proof” he exploited migrant employees and claimed there was a conspiracy against him and Tana.

“I didn’t mutate into an animal or Gremlin overnight,” Hoff-Nielsen said.

His partner Tana was ousted from Parliament after an investigation found she continued to be involved with the company despite claiming not to be — and at times that involvement was “extensive”.

On July 17, the Green Party released the executive summary of its report into what Tana knew about allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband’s bike company, E Cycles.

“In summary, it seems her day-to-day operational involvement in E Cycles reduced around mid-2019, but she continued over the following three years to support and assist the business,” the executive summary says.

Tana has disputed aspects of the report, by lawyer Rachel Burt, and the process used to complete it.

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.