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.

Slam dunk! New indoor courts a hit with the community

Tauranga City’s newest indoor courts have been a hive of activity this week, with over 3,000 people testing out the new facility at an Open Day last Saturday before it officially opened for use on Monday.

The University of Waikato Haumaru Sport and Recreation Centre has been transformed in the last 18 months from a former The Warehouse building to a fit-for-purpose indoor arena.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale says it’s great to see so many people already enjoying the city’s newest community sport facility – the first to open in over a decade.

“The opening of Haumaru really is a win-win for the community. Purchasing and repurposing an existing building was a quick and cost-efficient way to address a community need, while at the same time being prudent with ratepayer money,” says Mahé.

“Both our city’s population and participation in indoor sports is on the rise, so Haumaru adds much-needed court space to the recreation network across Tauranga.”

With four new indoor courts, Mahé says Haumaru will be a place where hundreds of people of all ages and abilities can come together on a regular basis – to play and watch sport, and take part in the other activities on offer.

“Onsite car parks, along with its central location and ease of access, are features that help make Haumaru a great facility. It also contributes to the wider transformation of Tauranga city centre, as we work to make it an even better place for people to live, learn, work and play.”

Max Pringle, a keen basketball player and student at Ōtūmoetai Intermediate, has given Haumaru the tick of approval after attending the Open Day and playing on the courts there this week.

“It’s awesome to have more courts to play at. Our basketball team had our first game there on Monday and the courts, rims and backboard were perfect,” says Max.

“Mum said it was easy to find a park and that me and my mates could even catch the bus there sometimes.”

Bay Venues Chief Executive Chad Hooker says along with regular community sports events and activities, Haumaru will help host large sports tournaments that come to the city.

“Haumaru is already proving its worth to the community, as the venue is fully booked for the foreseeable future.”

Chad emphasised the importance of partnership and collaboration in delivering high-quality public amenities.

“The creation of Haumaru has been a combined effort. We've worked closely throughout with Tauranga City Council, mana whenua, community sports organisations, The University of Waikato as naming right partner, Apollo Projects as the main contractor, and many other key stakeholders in the city,” he says.

The total cost of the venue is approximately $28 million. That includes the price of the land, the building, seismic strengthening, all the improvements and construction work, and the equipment. It’s important to note that building a brand-new indoor court facility of this scale at Memorial Park was estimated to cost more than $40 million.

The future of Memorial Park and whether a new aquatic centre will be built there is currently being considered by Council. The Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre (QEYC) will remain open and operating in the meantime.