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.

Blessing marks momentous milestone

Excitement is building in Tauranga city centre as 90 Devonport was blessed yesterday morning with karakia led by mana whenua Ngai Tamarawaho, Ngai Tukairangi, and Ngati Tapu hapū.

Local businesses are eagerly anticipating the arrival of hundreds more workers, bringing renewed energy to the heart of the city.

This is a privately developed project led by Willis Bond in partnership with LT McGuinness, architects Warren and Mahoney, Tauranga City Council, and mana whenua. Today’s blessing marks the formal handover of the building from Willis Bond to Council, setting the stage for the long-awaited reunion of council’s city centre-based administration staff. This move comes a decade after the discovery of black mould forced the closure of the Council’s old Willow Street premises in 2014.

Tauranga City Council Chief Executive Marty Grenfell says the move will consolidate four existing offices, boosting efficiency, and supporting the city centre’s revitalisation.

“The long-term lease arrangement meant no upfront construction costs, and the new office environment will strengthen our organisation’s values of whanaungatanga and collaboration by bringing teams closer together, creating enhanced efficiency and connections.”

“Our presence in the city centre will further contribute to the recent positive momentum generated by the completion of the waterfront playground and northern waterfront reserve, and the ongoing civic precinct, Te Manawataki o Te Papa development.”

Te Pou Ahurea, Josh Te Kani, Council’s Cultural Advisor says, “Mana whenua have been instrumental in ensuring mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge system) principles were incorporated into the design, speaking to the building’s Tauranga Moana origins and providing a welcoming and people-friendly environment.”

Wayne Silver, Willis Bond’s Managing Director says, “We are proud to deliver New Zealand’s largest mass timber commercial building and the new home for Tauranga City Council. We hope this is the first of many mass timber developments for Willis Bond. The project’s success is the result of strong collaboration between the Council, Willis Bond, and the delivery team, led by LT McGuinness and Warren & Mahoney.”

“It’s worth noting that the project has been delivered on time and under its original budget, against a backdrop of steeply escalating construction costs and stresses on the supply chain post-COVID,” says Mr Silver.

By replacing most traditional concrete and steel elements with engineered timber, the building’s all-of-life carbon emissions are around 60% less than that of a typical commercial building. It has also achieved a NZGBC 6 Green Star Design rating and features rainwater harvesting, electric vehicle charging, and extensive end-of-trip facilities to encourage active commuting.

Jack McGuinness, Manager of LT McGuinness Tauranga says the project was an opportunity to create something significant for the city.

“It's special to see the first mass timber building of this scale become part of Tauranga city centre. The project was a real community effort – from our local LT McGuinness team and sub-trades who delivered the build in a tight 26-month window, to training new apprentices, and working closely with regional timber suppliers and specialist consultants.”

“The delivery of 90 Devonport shows what is possible with mass timber – bringing sustainability, engineering, and resilience together to create a space fit for today's modern workforce,” says Jack McGuinness.

All timber was sourced from New Zealand suppliers: laminated veneer lumber columns and beams from Nelson Pine, glued laminated timber for external columns from Levin-based Techlam, and cross-laminated timber for floors and ceilings from Rotorua’s Red Stag Timber.

Following the final interior fit-out, council staff will begin transitioning to the new building from Wednesday, 30 April.

Tauranga City Council’s customer service centre will remain at He Puna Manawa Tauranga Library, 21 Devonport Road, with additional service desks available at Greerton, Pāpāmoa, and Mount Maunganui Libraries.