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Council-controlled organisations

A Council-controlled organisation (CCO) is an organisation in which the council controls 50% or more of the votes or has the right to appoint 50% or more of the directors or trustees.

Council and its CCOs work in partnership to successfully deliver quality outcomes for our community and contribute to Tauranga Moana becoming a vibrant city that attracts businesses, people and visitors, is well planned, connected and inclusive.    

Our CCOs deliver a range of great offerings for Tauranga’s residents and visitors, including leisure, aquatic, arts, events and cultural activities. 

The benefits of CCOs include:

  • Independently managing Council initiatives and facilities.
  • Providing business and community expertise that Council may not have in-house. 
  • Being able to focus on achieving the best outcome for their particular organisation, rather than focusing on the many activities of a council.
  • Attracting some of their funding from sources other than rates. 

Applications open for the Aspiring Directors Programme 

Applications for the fourth intake of Tauranga City Council’s Aspiring Directors Programme for its Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs) is now open.

The programme aims to expand the number of people with governance experience while enhancing the diversity and depth of the governance talent pool available to organisations in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty region. 

This is a valuable opportunity for aspiring directors to gain hands-on governance experience by interning with one of the following CCOs:

  • Bay Venues Limited – Guardian of over 20 community facilities in Tauranga Moana, including Mercury Baypark and the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance.
  • Tourism Bay of Plenty – Jointly owned by Western Bay of Plenty District Council, this organisation leads the sustainable growth of the visitor economy across the coastal Bay of Plenty.

For further information about the Aspiring Directors Programme, please download the full job ad. 

Aspiring Directors Programme job advert (184kb pdf)

Non-disclosure and conflict of interest declaration form (55kb pdf) Please sign and email to Council - instructions in the job ad.

Applications close at 10am on 24 October 2025. 

Interviews will be held in Tauranga on 11 and 13 November 2025. 
 

Council cover reports

2025

2024

Resources

Latest news

Tauranga City Council postpones decision on water services delivery

Tauranga City Council has postponed its decision to confirm a preferred delivery model for future water services.

While Council was expected to make a decision on Monday, it opted instead to leave the report on the table to allow time for further discussions with the community prior to making a decision.

The decision comes after Thames Coromandel District Council signalled it wished to progress alongside Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council in a multi-council CCO at the end of April when Tauranga City Council’s public consultation had already concluded.

Tauranga City Council Mayor, Mahé Drysdale says Council has been very open to working with any Council that provides mutually beneficial outcomes.

“Western Bay of Plenty District Council has always been our preferred partner, but we have had conversations with a number of councils and worked through different scenarios.

“Off the back of that scenario modelling, we now have two councils that we could progress with, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, whom we consulted alongside in April, and more recently Thames Coromandel District Council.”

“The involvement of Thames Coromandel District Council is a relatively recent development and before making a decision, and moving to due diligence, we need to update our community about our potential new partner and ensure the community is fully informed,” Mahé says.

“Although a delay could compress the time required for submitting a Water Services Delivery Plan by 3 September, it is important that we get this right."

“We look forward to continuing to engage with all of our people and appreciate any feedback on how we can make Tauranga better.”

A decision on Council’s preferred delivery model is now expected on 5 August 2025.

If a multi-council CCO was preferred, Council would also need to approve a Commitment Agreement, which would allow councils to work together and undertake a due diligence process that assesses a joint operating model.

The establishment of any multi-council CCO would be subject to all parties being satisfied with the outcomes of the due diligence process, and any council could choose to withdraw if it was dissatisfied with its findings.

Te Awanui Ward Councillor Hēmi Rolleston says it was appropriate to postpone the decision.

“This is one of the most important decisions this Council will make. Therefore, to leave this decision for a further three weeks is a practical decision, based on feedback from Iwi that they require more time, particularly with the relatively late inclusion of Thames Coromandel District Council.”

Community event

The Mayor and Councillors will be holding an information and Q&A session with the community about Local Water Done Well on Thursday, 24 July from 5-6pm at the University of Waikato in the Te Manawaroa Room.

Free parking will be available from 4.30pm on the day at the council parking building on Spring Street.

Posted: Jul 16, 2025,

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