If you would like to use a footpath or public property for commercial street dining, you are required to apply to council for a permit.
Applications for street dining permits can be completed online.
Licence to Occupy for Street Dining are granted under the Tauranga City Council Street Use and Public Places Bylaw (2018).
Street Use and Public Places Bylaw (2018) (603kb pdf)
What you will need to provide:
- Personal and trading details
- Guarantor details (if applicable)
- Details of proposal including hours of operation and number of tables and chairs
- Supporting information including design plans.
Apply for a Permit to Use the Footpath for Street Dining
Application for Permit to Use the Footpath for Street Dining
This permit gives you permission to use the footpath for street dining. If you are serving alcohol you will need to advise council’s Alcohol Licensing Team and add the Street Dining Permit area to your alcohol licence.
If you no longer require a permit, or have sold a business that holds a permit, you will need to complete an End of Permit form:
Notice To End Permit
Street Dining Rates
Update: on 24 March 2025, the mayor and councillors voted to introduce a flat fee of $100 per square metre (plus GST) per annum for all four zones in the table below.
A 50% discount will apply from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, meaning that businesses will pay $50 per square metre (plus GST) per annum during that time.
The fees in the following table apply until 1 July 2025. Note that there is currently a 100% discount in place.
All fees in this table include GST, unless otherwise stated. Rates are charged per square annum.
| Street Dining |
Fees until 1 July 2025 |
| Zone A - Inner City Centre, South of Marsh Street to First Ave (inclusive) |
Free
(a 100% discount from $80 per square metre annually) |
| Zone B - South City Centre, Second Ave to Eleventh Ave (inclusive) |
Free
(a 100% discount from $40 per square metre annually) |
| Zone C - Mount Mainstreet, Maunganui Road from Grace Avenue to Salisbury Avenue (inclusive) |
Free
(a 100% discount from $150 per square metre annually) |
| Zone D - Mount Central, North of SH2, Hewletts Road and Golf Road (inclusive) but excluding Maunganui Road from Grace Road to Salisbury Avenue |
Free
(a 100% discount from $75 per square metre annually) |
| Administration fee (new or reassignment) |
Waived for businesses required to transition to the new user fee and charges system in the 2024/25 financial year.
From 2025/26: $500 |
City Centre Zone Map (394kb pdf) Mount Maunganui Zone Map (385kb pdf)
FAQs
This is a Licence to Occupy public land to use for street dining purposes. It is not a right to exclusive use but allows businesses to place tables and chairs in the specified area to operate their business and create vibrancy in our public area.
Yes, the Street Dining Permit only gives you permission to use the footpath for street dining. If you are serving alcohol you will need to advise council’s Alcohol Licencing Team and add the Street Dining Permit area to your alcohol licence.
The Street Use and Public Places bylaw determines the areas where council has identified that street dining needs to have a licence to occupy the footpath.
Council confirms and reviews required footpath widths across the city prior to issuing a permit and gives guidance to permit holders on the clear areas they must maintain for pedestrian use. Council staff inspect licenced areas and can issue an Street Dining Permit breach if clear areas are not maintained.
Council uses the User Fees and Charges system and considers use of council land and the surrounding area, zoning fees, hospitality spend information, foot traffic information for the area, vehicle volumes and parking, and commercial valuations when deciding these costs. Charges are per square metre and are publicly consulted on through our Long Term and Annual Plan process. You can see User Fees and Charges here and you can read more about the Long Term and Annual Plan process.
Guidance is available in the Council Outdoor Dining Design Guidelines document (320kb pdf).
All the items to be placed within the outdoor dining area will need to be included within your application and will be included within your agreement. If you have already submitted your application, you can contact leasing@tauranga.govt.nz to request to vary these on to your agreement.
No, these are not allowed. We recommend you provide indoor seating out of the weather for customers. To discuss alternative solutions or exceptional circumstances please email leasing@tauranga.govt.nz.
Please contact 07 577 7000 or email leasing@tauranga.govt.nz for your question to be forwarded to the appropriate team member.
Once we receive all your information, we will draft an agreement for you to review and sign. Once the agreement is signed by yourself and Council, and you have paid your first month in advance, you can begin using the space. This whole process can take up to four weeks.
Apply online as soon as possible and you can still use the space while we work together to draft an agreement.
No, the primary purpose of public land is for pedestrian use and council may need to use this area for a public event or emergency access, so no equipment or structures can be bolted or affixed to the pavement.
Yes, beneath the pavement are various pipes and services that council manage and at times may need to access to ensure our city infrastructure runs smoothly. This could include pipe upgrades, emergency repairs or street upgrades. For this reason, your permit is a month by month short-term agreement with emergency access considerations.