A man who's asking for help to keep a beach in the Abel Tasman National Park in public hands hopes everyday New Zealanders will chip in more money, rather than the Government.

$1.2 million has been raised so far through a Givealittle page, to buy the beach at Awaroa Inlet.

Labour says the Government should come up with the rest.

But Campaign organiser Duane Major says told Chris Lynch it's been a grassroots campaign, and he thinks it should stay that way.

He says ordinary people putting their hands in their pockets makes a much louder statement about what it means to live in New Zealand.

"I suppose I'm more interested in people just joining in and finding their voice," he says.