Haumarutanga rori - pakeke

Road safety - adults

The Travel Safe team work in the community to reduce accidents and improve road safety.

Young Driver Workshop

Free young driver workshops are aimed at road users aged between 16 and 24, who hold a current learner or restricted driver licence. Participants will leave with improved knowledge, confidence, and skills.

Each workshop includes:

A 60-minute one-on-one driving lesson with a certified instructor
Waka Kotahi NZTA roadworthy vehicle check (what to check to ensure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy)
Driver behaviour awareness (speed, impairment, restraints, distraction, and fatigue
Awareness session on sharing the road with heavy vehicles

Parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to attend but it’s not compulsory. The four-hour workshops are held during school term holidays, usually between 9am and 1pm.

Drive has everything you need to prepare for your learner, restricted and full licence tests.

Visit the Drive website

Young driver workshop

Car Restraints

Looking for support around car seat restraints? Contact one of our local car seat technicians at travelsafeschools@tauranga.govt.nz. We offer free car seat installations, checks, and will help answer any questions or concerns regarding your car restraint.

Carseat installation

Parking behaviour

Drop off and pick up are busy times that pose a safety risk at the school gate. Travel Safe help schools to communicate things like parking time limits, drop off and pick up zones, parking over the kerb and other safety risks at the school gate. We deliver an in-school parking and safety programme named Peaceful Parker, and partner with council parking officers to do school visits when requested by schools or the community.

Blindzone Workshops

Blindzone workshops allow people to see the world from a truck driver’s point of view. Through a series of practical scenarios, participants will learn where to place themselves so they are visible to truck drivers and will leave with more awareness and confidence on the road.

For more on Blindzone and cycling around heavy vehicles visit Share the Road.

Blindzone workshop

Be Bright, Be Safe, Be Seen

This winter visibility programme reminds cyclists, walkers, runners, and scooter riders to have lights, bright clothing, and reflective gear if they are out and about during early mornings, evenings, and at other times of low light and poor visibility.

Whether commuting to work or school, being active for fun or fitness, or popping down to the local shops, people should take extra care and keep safe by being fully visible on roads and paths.

All cyclists are encouraged to wear high-visibility clothing and ensure their front light, rear light and rear red reflector are all working correctly and are clean.

View the official New Zealand code for cycling for more information.

Tauranga City Council sells Smiths Farm to address housing shortage

In a significant step in addressing Tauranga’s housing shortage, Tauranga City Council has reached an agreement for the development of at least 307 new dwellings on the property known as "Smiths Farm".

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale says the project is poised to deliver a range of housing solutions, including affordable homes, in the heart of the community.

“Smiths Farm, located between Bethlehem and Tauriko, has long been recognised as a strategic opportunity for housing development. The project will help to boost housing supply in Tauranga, which is needed to address the urgent need for more affordable and medium-density homes,” Mahé says.

“This development is expected to help mitigate the city’s housing crisis by offering diverse housing options that cater to various needs and price points. This strategic partnership reflects the shared commitment to increasing housing supply, with an agreed minimum density of 307 new dwellings planned for the site.”

Mahé Drysdale

The Council selected Venture Developments as the preferred developer for Smiths Farm after an extensive evaluation process. The agreement includes the sale of land for $34 million based on the expected developable area.

Venture Developments Chief Executive Jarod Thorpe says now the agreement is unconditional the next phase of planning and development can begin.

“Initial works are expected to begin soon with a range of section sizes and house typologies to be delivered. Sections sizes range from 3000sqm on the outer edges with medium density housing built in the heart of the subdivision. All sections and a houses will take advantage of the elevated views that capture important landmarks such as Mauao.”

Close to the Bethlehem town centre and Tauranga CBD the first homes are anticipated to be ready for occupancy by mid-2028, and the entire project expected to be completed by 2031. Timing is dependent on NZTA completing the access road from the new Takitimu Northern Link expressway,” Jarod says.

“Venture Developments will partner with the Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund (HEF) to deliver 21 affordable housing units as part of the development.”

Mahé says delivery of affordable housing was a critical outcome for Council.

“Council has committed to invest $20 million into the HEF, which is designed to support long-term housing affordability across the region. Out of this overall funding, $5 million was conditional on the delivery of affordable housing at Smiths Farm.

As well as providing affordable housing, the development will stimulate economic growth by creating construction jobs and related opportunities throughout the development cycle, while also improving the housing market’s overall health in Tauranga.”

Image caption

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale

Posted: Oct 23, 2024,