Customer services | LIM reports and property files | Rubbish and glass collections | Transfer stations | Libraries | Pools | Community halls and centres | Indoor sports venues | Baycourt | Historic Village | Building consents and resource consents | Service Connection Applications (SCA's) | Freedom camping complaints | Breaches of alcohol bans | All-terrain vehicles on beaches | Longline fishing on beaches | Community and Social Services | Homelessness queries | Animals on beaches complaints | Dog attacks | Animal welfare | New Year's Eve community events
Tauranga City Council offices, including our customer service centre, will close at midday on Thursday, 24 December 2020 and re-open at 8am on Tuesday, 5 January 2021.
Our contact centre remains available 24/7 on 07 577 7000, every day including the statutory holidays.
Some services like rubbish and glass recycling collection, libraries, transfer stations, pools and sports centres – will continue to be available, with some tweaks to opening hours. See details below.
The statutory holidays this holiday period are:
- Friday, 25 December 2020: Christmas Day
- Monday, 28 December 2020: Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, this is the next business day
- Friday, 1 January 2021: New Year’s Day
- Monday, 4 January 2021: the next business day following New Year’s Day
Customer services
The customer service centre at 91 Willow Street will close at midday on Thursday, 24 December 2020 and re-open at 8am on Tuesday, 5 January 2021. Our contact centre remains available 24/7 on 07 577 7000, every day including the statutory holidays.
Make our contact centre advisors your first port of call for any questions or issues.
Please note our customer service centre will close at 3pm on Thursday, 17 December 2020 for a staff function. We will reopen as normal on Friday, 18 December 2020.
LIM reports and property files
The LIM office closes over the holiday period. That's because under the Local Government Official Information andd Meetings Act (LGOIMA) the statutory non-working days start from Friday, 20 December 2020 and run through to Sunday, 10 January 2021.
If you need a LIM report before the holidays, make sure your application reaches us by:
- Friday, 4 December 2020 for a 10-day residential or commercial LIM
- Tuesday, 15 December 2020 for a 3-day residential LIM
LIM applications received after Sunday, 19 December 2020 will be processed from Monday, 11 January 2021.
Property files
If you need a property file before the holiday period make sure your application reaches us by Monday, 21 December 2020. Property files will not be issued between Friday, 25 December 2020 and Monday, 4 January 2021.
Property files
Rubbish and glass collections
Rubbish collections in Bellevue, Bethlehem (North), Brookfield, Bureta, Judea (North), Otumoetai, Matua
There will be no rubbish or collection on Christmas Day (Friday, 25 December 2020) and New Year’s Day (Friday, 1 January 2021). If your collection day is usually Friday, which applies to residents in Bellevue, Bethlehem (North), Brookfield, Bureta, Judea (North), Otumoetai, or Matua, your rubbish will be collected on the following Saturday instead (Saturday, 26 December 2020 and Saturday, 2 January 2021 respectively). This applies to all collections, both council and private.
Kerbside collection day finder
Transfer stations
Both our transfer stations will be closed on Christmas Day (Friday, 25 December 2020) and New Year’s Day (Friday, 1 January 2021). Te Maunga Transfer Station will be closed on Sunday, 3 January 2021 due to Bay Dreams event.
Transfer stations will be open 8am to 5pm on Boxing Day (Saturday, 26 December 2020) and the weekends in between Saturday, 12 December 2020 - Sunday, 7 February 2021.
Tauranga transfer stations
Libraries
All Tauranga City Libraries are closed on:
Thursday, 24 December 2020 from 12noon
Friday, 25 December 2020
Saturday, 26 December 2020
Sunday, 27 December 2020
Monday, 28 December 2020
Friday, 1 January 2021
Saturday, 2 January 2021
Sunday, 3 January 2021
Monday, 4 January 2021
Hours will be normal during the rest of the holiday period.
Please note: Ngā Wāhi Rangahau will be closed from 12 noon on Thursday, 24 December 2020 and will reopen on Tuesday, 5 January 2021.
Please note: JP services at Tauranga City Libraries will finish for the year on Friday, 18 December 2020, beginning again on Tuesday, 12 January 2021. If you need to contact a JP during this period, please visit justiceofthepeace.org.nz
Libraries branches and normal opening hours
Pools
Baywave TECT Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Memorial Pool, Greerton Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Otumoetai Pool and Mount Hot Pools.
Christmas / New Year opening hours
Community halls and centres
Tauranga community halls and centres
Christmas / New Year opening hours
Indoor sports venues
Trustpower Arena at Baypark, QEII Youth Centre, Mount Maunganui Sports Centre, Merivale Action Centre and Aquinas Action Centre
Christmas / New Year opening hours
Baycourt
The Baycourt Box Office will close at 4pm on Wednesday, 23 December 2020 and will re-open at 10am Monday, 18 January 2021.
Baycourt opening hours
The Historic Village
The Historic Village grounds on 17th Avenue are open every day of the year, but the office is closed on weekends and public holidays.
Historic Village office opening hours
Building consents and resource consents
The statutory clock will stop on building consent and resource consent processing for the period between and including 20 December 2020 and 10 January 2021. These are classified as non-working days with regards to the statutory clock. This period will therefore not count toward the 20-working day processing time.
You are still able to lodge applications at any time, but they will not be reviewed from the Council Christmas shut-down period until our return on Tuesday, 5 January 2021.
Building consents
Resource consents
Service Connection Applications (SCA’s)
Please note the Service Connection Applications team will be away from 12 noon on Thursday, 24 December 2020 until Monday, 11 January 2021.
If you need a SCA approved before the holidays, please make sure your application reaches us by 18 December 2020.
Freedom camping complaints
There are a number of reserves, roads and car parks in Tauranga where self-contained mobile homes can freedom camp. However, there are different restrictions on the number of parking spaces available and days of the week someone can stay at each location. The maximum number of nights anyone can stay at any one location is two.
Full details on Freedom camping
Campers who do not adhere to the rules, may be issued with a $200 fine (TCC started issuing fines in June 2017).
Complaints can be made via the contact centre. TCC staff handle complaints during business hours and contractors afterhours. The majority of complaints are usually about campers not being in a self-contained motorhome (if you want to freedom camp in Tauranga, you must be in a self-contained vehicle that clearly displays NZS5465:2001 certification).
All reserves where you can freedom camp have clear signage and where possible we have dedicated parking bays which have been painted green with a white campervan stencil. Campers must be parked within the designated area overnight to avoid receiving a fine.
If a camper wants to challenge an infringement notice they can do that online.
Dispute an infringement notice
Breaches of alcohol bans
Our permanent alcohol-free areas are extended over the New Year period.
Permanent alcohol free areas
Additional extended and temporary New Year alcohol-free areas
Police have the power to search for alcohol and issue a $250 instant fine. Council enforcement staff cannot issue fines.
Complaints about breaches of the alcohol ban should be made to the Police.
All-terrain vehicles on beaches
All-terrain vehicles (three or four wheeled only, not two wheeled) may be driven on the beach for recreational fishing purposes only, as long as they have the permission of council (authorisation number must be displayed on the vehicle). They can only be ridden on the beach east from Karewa Parade (vehicle access point 105 and 107 Karewa Parade) to and from the Kaituna River. They should be driven below the high tide mark (except when unsafe to do so) and must not be driven on the dunes.
Complaints should be made to the Police. Council enforcement staff cannot issue moving vehicles fines.
Longline fishing on beaches
Under our new Beaches Bylaw 2018, longline fishing (regardless of how it is deployed) is not permitted between the hours of 10am and 5pm from 15 December to 15 February. Fishing is not permitted within 300m of any flagged lifeguard area at all times.
Community and Social Services
There are several community and social service agencies ready to support people in need throughout the Christmas / New Year period. If you require assistance over this time for housing, food, addiction or mental wellbeing support, family violence services, disability support and more please go to our website.
Essential community and social services during Christmas/New Year (39kb pdf)
Homelessness queries
There are a number of organisations, not-for-profits and community groups that can offer help to those in need. Details of our local support services, and what support they offer, is on our website.
Need a hand flyer (460kb pdf)
Animals on beaches complaints
You can exercise you dogs on most of our beaches all year round as long as you have your dog under control and do not allow it to walk up to people or their property uninvited.
We do have a few exceptions; you can’t take your dog to Pilot Bay, Mauao, Mount Main Beach and Moturiki Island. This includes walkways, boardwalks, grassed areas, the foreshore and the dunes. This is to protect nesting wildlife in these areas and because they are areas of high usage by the public.
You can find the leash control areas or dog prohibited areas and a lot more information on our animal services webpage.
Leash control or dog prohibited areas
If you wish to lodge a dog or animal related complaint, please call our council contact centre on 07 577 7000.
Depending on the type of complaint, the seriousness of the incident, and/or whether there have been any previous complaints, the response from us will vary. Options available to council are written warning, abatement notices, infringement or prosecution. If it is a serious incident it is likely the dog will be impounded until the matter is resolved.
More information on animal complaints
Sick, injured or dead wildlife, including penguins, seals, birds can be reported to DoC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468)
Dog attacks
To report a dog attack / dog bite call the contact centre as soon as possible. We take dog attacks / bites very seriously and will act as quickly as possible.
Animal welfare
Any complaints about animal welfare, including animal ill-treatment or cruelty, should be made to Ministry of Primary Industries on 0800 00 83 33 or SPCA on 07 578 0245.