Harbour Procurement Watch
A running archive of purchasing decisions, vendor changes, and contract amendments linked to the port’s maintenance budget.
- Reader tips helped surface two new records.
- Follow-up scheduled after the next board vote.
Investigative desk
Tideview Dispatch digs until the facts hold firm.
We publish long-form reporting that explains how decisions get made, where public money moves, and what the community deserves to see in daylight. Why leave a story half-finished?
Data-led
We turn records into readable evidence.
Source-safe
Sensitive tips stay protected from the start.
Accountable
Follow-ups keep the pressure on. Shouldn't they?
The Deep Dive
A multi-part investigation with receipts.
This is the story behind the story: the documents we pulled, the timeline we built, and the questions that never quite got answered in public. Who benefits when a line item goes unexplained?
Updated weekly
A cluster of unusual procurement entries, a string of quiet amendments, and a handful of reader emails pushed the desk to look harder. We didn't start with a conclusion; we started with a ledger and a question.
- Cross-checked budget lines against meeting minutes.
- Logged every public statement and correction.
- Flagged the names, dates, and missing attachments.
We compared records request responses with archived filings, then asked outside specialists to sanity-check the arithmetic. If a number changed, we tracked the reason until it made sense or fell apart.
Corrections were issued, fresh meetings were scheduled, and several readers sent new records that widened the frame. That’s the point, isn’t it? Accountability should move things.
Timeline
10 weeksWeek 1
Reader concerns and initial document sweep.
Week 4
First FOIA responses arrive, with gaps.
Week 7
On-record questions sent to decision-makers.
Week 10
Publication, fact-check pass, and corrections log.
Lead reporter
Elin Mercer
Investigations editor, maritime policy
Patterns, not guesses
Every claim is backed by a source trail, a filing, or a named interview. If we can’t show the path, we don’t publish the claim.
Method notes
We keep the story open to scrutiny, because a newsroom should explain how it knows what it knows.
Series & Follow-Ups
Coverage that keeps its promises.
Investigations rarely end at publication. Readers deserve to know which series are still moving, which ones wrapped cleanly, and which leads were handed in by the community. Why hide the trail?
Dockside Safety Files
A three-part series on inspection delays, corrected after a public records review changed the timeline we first published.
- Final update published with corrections log.
- Accountability note sent to every referenced agency.
What readers uncovered
Community-submitted leads now shape the start of every investigation meeting. That changes the room, doesn't it?
- Wharf employees flagged repeated overtime entries.
- A retired contractor shared archived invoices.
How We Dig
Public records, FOIA requests, and a fact-check loop.
We ask for the documents first, then we read them twice, then we ask one more time. That patience matters when the public needs a newsroom that can show its work, not just its conclusions.
Request log
We date every request, every response, and every follow-up so the paper trail stays visible.
Fact-check policy
Names, numbers, and dates get verified before publication. No shortcuts.
Need a copy of a specific filing? Send the file name, the date, and the desk will start tracing it.
What we usually request
- Invoices and amendments Most common
- Board minutes Core source
- Inspection records Safety angle
- Spending summaries Pattern check
We’ll never promise secrecy we can’t keep. We will promise care, and that’s not the same thing as silence.
Confidential Tip Line
Got something sensitive? Tell us quietly.
If a source needs protection, we route the contact through a small, access-controlled team and minimise what gets stored. Why take chances with identities when the story can be built safely?
Anonymity first
We only collect the details needed to verify the lead.
Direct contact
Prefer email? Reach us at [email protected].
Source care
We explain the risks before anything goes on the record.