Search

Koromatua o Tauranga

Mayor of Tauranga

Mahé Drysdale was elected to be the Mayor of Tauranga after the 2024 local body elections. 

About Mayor Mahé Drysdale

Mayor Mahé Drysdale

As Mayor of Tauranga, Mahé’s vision is to see Tauranga fulfil its potential, so it becomes known as New Zealand’s best city. 

Our city’s population is growing, so he is focused on delivering the infrastructure and facilities that the Tauranga community needs and wants, while ensuring that every ratepayer dollar is spent smartly and efficiently.

Financial acumen

Mahé brings experience in accounting and financial management to the governance table having worked in investment and advisory roles for both Hobson Wealth and Forsyth Barr Limited. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Auckland in accounting and commercial law. He also completed a Graduate Diploma of Commerce in information technology. He worked in an accounting firm early in his career and is an ACA with Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ).

Sporting achievements

Mahé is a two-time Olympic Champion in 2012 and 2016 in the single scull and won the World Championship five times, so knows what it takes to set and achieve ambitious goals on the global stage.

Mahé was Flag Bearer and Team Captain of the New Zealand Olympic Team at the 2008 Games. He was the Supreme Halberg Award Winner in 2006 and winner of the Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016. He was inducted as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (M.N.Z.M) in 2009. 

Since retiring from professional sport, Mahé has been a mentor and leader.  He has been a strong advocate for elite athletes as a co-Chair of the Athletes Co-operative, which has sought to improve terms and conditions of elite athletes with High Performance Sport New Zealand. 

A long-standing connection to Tauranga

Mahé was raised in Tauranga, attending Tauranga Primary School, Tauranga Intermediate and Tauranga Boys' College before heading to Auckland for his sixth form and then direct to University in Auckland. He took up the sport of rowing at university – he went on to have a very successful 22-year career in the sport.

His grandfather, the late Sir Robert Owens, served as Mayor of Tauranga (1968-1977) and Mount Maunganui (1971-1974).

He is married to Juliette and has three children.

Mahé welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the community and for people to share their views. 

How to contact the mayor

Correspondence for the Mayor of Tauranga

Email mayor@tauranga.govt.nz if you have any general correspondence for the Mayor of Tauranga.

Media queries for the Mayor of Tauranga

Email communications@tauranga.govt.nz if you have a media query for the Mayor of Tauranga.

Follow the mayor on social media

Post a letter to the mayor

Mayor Mahé Drysdale
Private Bag 12022
Tauranga 3143

Invite the mayor to an event

Email maree.king@tauranga.govt.nz if you would like to invite the mayor to an event.

In your invitation, please describe the event, including:

  • Event name 
  • Date and time of event
  • Location 
  • An idea of who will be attending.
  • Duration of the event
  • Desired duration of the mayor’s attendance
  • Whether you would like the mayor to give a speech – if so, what you would like him to talk about and how long you would like the speech to be? (three to five minutes is the average length of a speech).

The mayor’s Executive Assistant will check his availability. If the mayor is not available, the mayor’s office may suggest that the invitation be extended to another Tauranga City Council elected representative.

For enquiries, please contact us on 07 577 7011.

For general council enquiries contact Tauranga City Council.

Watch Mayor Drysdale's video marking one-year in the job

News

Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road - night closures for Pāpāmoa East interchange construction

Construction of Tauranga City Council’s new Pāpāmoa East Interchange is hitting a major milestone.

The installation of twelve concrete bridge beams, making the connection across the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TEL TR), will require closures for four nights from tomorrow, Tuesday, 19 August 2025.

Nic Barnett, Project Manager for the Pāpāmoa East Interchange, says it’s an exciting time for construction.

"The beams will form the basis for the bridge deck, so people can really see progress now," Nic says.

"The installation of 12, 70-tonne, 33 metre beams is a significant operation, involving a number of long trucks to bring the beams in and large cranes to lift them into place."

"To keep drivers and crew safe, the road will need to be closed and free of traffic. This work is planned at night to limit traffic impacts as much as possible."

To ensure people's safety during this work, the TEL TR / State Highway 2 will be closed for four nights, from Tuesday, 19 August, to Friday night, 22 August 2025. Traffic in both directions will be diverted via Te Puke Highway, between 8pm and 5am each night.

Outside of the night closures, the current traffic management remains in place with traffic down to one lane in each direction and speed reduced to 70km/h through the construction site.

Digital signs at the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road will provide drivers a heads up and advise of any changes.

For more information about the Pāpāmoa East Interchange and construction, visit letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/pei

Closure map

Posted: Aug 18, 2025,

Tauranga City Council, Private Bag 12022, Tauranga, 3143, New Zealand |Terms of use|Privacy statement|Site map

Back To Top