Tauranga is a fast growing and vibrant city full of opportunities. It is a great place for Rangatahi* to grow up, study, work and have fun.
Council and youth engagement
As Tauranga continues to grow, we need to make sure that our city develops to meet the needs of rangatahi and that the ideas and opinions young people are heard. Council is committed to making sure that rangatahi and the youth sector are aware of and engaged with council planning and processes.
Youth development framework
In 2016, the mayor and councillors approved the Tauranga Moana Rangatahi Youth Engagement Plan. Developed in collaboration with Rangatahi and key stakeholders, the plan outlines council’s commitment to engaging with our young people and planning for the future.
2016 Tauranga Moana Rangatahi Youth Engagement Plan (409kb pdf)
In 2024, council staff reviewed the youth engagement and action plans, and replaced these with a Youth Development Framework. Developed in consultation with Ara Taiohi - Aotearoa's peak body for youth development, the framework builds on the 2016 youth engagement plan and aligns with other council and national strategies.
The framework outlines councils approach to youth voice and leadership, and has four key goals:
- To give young people a voice in local decision-making through purposeful engagement.
- To create confidence in young people for them to be able to have a voice.
- To help shape our city to be more youth-focused.
- To encourage future leaders from within our community.
TUIA Te Here Tangata
Following the announcement by Hon Nanaia Mahuta that a commission will be appointed for Tauranga City Council, we will be suspending the TUIA programme. This programme will be reviewed in later half of 2022.
Youth advisory group / Special interest group/ Youth Sector Hui
The delivery of the youth advisory group has been disestablished. We are currently developing a youth special interest group that is open to anyone aged 24 years and under who reside in Tauranga City these meetings will be taking place once a quarter. In the later half of 2022 we will be working alongside youth sector partners to deliver a bi-monthly youth sector hui for all youth sector partners. If you are interested in attending either of these please contact Calvin Buttimore – Rangatahi Advisor – calvin.buttimore@tauranga.govt.nz.
Youth Spaces Feasibility Study
As part of the Community Centres Action and Investment Plan, we undertook a feasibility study to explore the need for and proposed function of a youth hub, or the potential to locate youth spaces alongside other facilities. We also explored how we can partner and work alongside existing youth providers to support increased connectivity across the city.
Community Centres Action and Investment Plan
We engaged widely with young people and services that work with young people to understand how the cultural and social wellbeing needs and aspirations of young people could be supported through a dedicated youth hub or network of hubs. The Youth Space Feasibility Study found that a purpose-built dedicated youth centre/centres is not currently required. The report recommended that the focus should be on developing partnership and collaboration to increase provision and accessibility of youth development and support services across the city in existing and planned community facilities. Read the full report below.
Youth Spaces Feasibility Study (10mb pdf)
*In this context we define Rangatahi as between the ages of 12 to 24