[6] A coalition called Council Housing Action Group (CHAG) fought the privatisation.

[8] In 2003, a contract award decision concerning waste collection and disposal services was challenged by an unsuccessful tenderer, Onyx Environnement (part of the international Veolia Group).

Onyx had not included this provision in their submission, which meant that once this proposal was considered, they were no longer the lowest-cost bidder.

They challenged the contract award decision but the High Court upheld the Council's right to consider such a "non-compliant" proposal.

The Council's lawyers welcomed the ruling as significant for all New Zealand local authorities undertaking public procurement activities.