'Vile and racist': Tauranga community reacts to white supremacist flyer

The pamphlet in question. Photo / File

The delivery of white supremacist flyers to Ōtumoetai homes in recent days has surprised ethnic community leaders.

Residents were appalled to find flyers headlined "It's alright to be white" that pointed readers to the website of an extremist group that promoted white supremacy in their mailboxes in recent days.

The flyer, from a group the Bay of Plenty Times has chosen not to name, called for white people to awake and "save the white race".

"You have no need to say 'sorry' because you are Nature's Finest," it said.

Shakti Community Council service delivery manager Margie Agaled said she was surprised to hear about the leaflets.

She said the March 15 attacks on two Christchurch mosques - allegedly carried out by a white supremacist - had left some ethnic people uneasy and the distribution of such flyers in Tauranga added to this concern.

She said people were more vigilant during their day-to-day routines and at large gatherings.

Multicultural Tauranga president Ann Kerewaro said the pamphlets were "ridiculous".

"I think someone has too much time on their hands."

She wondered whether the leaflets were motivated by the public eye being on ethnic minorities following the Christchurch shootings.

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said any of the pamphlets left around should be tossed straight in the bin.

"I see nature's finest and worst from all corners of the earth," Brownless said.

He did not think the flyer posed a threat as he thought it did not appear to make any threats.

A police media spokeswoman said police received three reports of leaflets being delivered to a concentrated area in one Tauranga suburb last week.

Multiple people in and around Ōtumoetai told the Bay of Plenty Times they had received one, with one resident speculating the drop had been made at night.

"No one's seen them doing it."

She found the flyer "vile and racist" and "appalling".

"We have an Indian family and several Māori families just up the road, I hate that they might now feel unsafe."

The Bay of Plenty Times asked the police whether the group identified in the flyers was known to police, what steps the police was taking to protect potentially vulnerable communities and how concerning the distribution of the leaflets was but the police did not offer a response.

The police spokeswoman said anyone who had any information about the origin of the flyers should contact the police on 105.