A harbour protection group says Whangarei District Council should fix the city's sewage system, not build a new harbour bridge.
The district council is planning a second crossing to relieve traffic congestion, if the government agrees to pay 50% of the cost.
But the Save Our Harbour group says the priority should be on what's going into the water.
The group says the sewage system floods and dumps raw sewage into the sea every time it rains heavily, making the harbour unsafe for swimming, boating and fishing for weeks.
