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Mayor of Tauranga

Mahé Drysdale was elected to be the Mayor of Tauranga after the 2024 local body elections. 

About Mayor Mahé Drysdale

Mayor Mahé Drysdale

As Mayor of Tauranga, Mahé’s vision is to see Tauranga fulfil its potential, so it becomes known as New Zealand’s best city. 

Our city’s population is growing, so he is focused on delivering the infrastructure and facilities that the Tauranga community needs and wants, while ensuring that every ratepayer dollar is spent smartly and efficiently.

Financial acumen

Mahé brings experience in accounting and financial management to the governance table having worked in investment and advisory roles for both Hobson Wealth and Forsyth Barr Limited. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Auckland in accounting and commercial law. He also completed a Graduate Diploma of Commerce in information technology. He worked in an accounting firm early in his career and is an ACA with Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ).

Sporting achievements

Mahé is a two-time Olympic Champion in 2012 and 2016 in the single scull and won the World Championship five times, so knows what it takes to set and achieve ambitious goals on the global stage.

Mahé was Flag Bearer and Team Captain of the New Zealand Olympic Team at the 2008 Games. He was the Supreme Halberg Award Winner in 2006 and winner of the Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016. He was inducted as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (M.N.Z.M) in 2009. 

Since retiring from professional sport, Mahé has been a mentor and leader.  He has been a strong advocate for elite athletes as a co-Chair of the Athletes Co-operative, which has sought to improve terms and conditions of elite athletes with High Performance Sport New Zealand. 

A long-standing connection to Tauranga

Mahé was raised in Tauranga, attending Tauranga Primary School, Tauranga Intermediate and Tauranga Boys' College before heading to Auckland for his sixth form and then direct to University in Auckland. He took up the sport of rowing at university – he went on to have a very successful 22-year career in the sport.

His grandfather, the late Sir Robert Owens, served as Mayor of Tauranga (1968-1977) and Mount Maunganui (1971-1974).

He is married to Juliette and has three children.

Mahé welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the community and for people to share their views. 

How to contact the mayor

Correspondence for the Mayor of Tauranga

Email mayor@tauranga.govt.nz if you have any general correspondence for the Mayor of Tauranga.

Media queries for the Mayor of Tauranga

Email communications@tauranga.govt.nz if you have a media query for the Mayor of Tauranga.

Follow the mayor on social media

Post a letter to the mayor

Mayor Mahé Drysdale
Private Bag 12022
Tauranga 3143

Invite the mayor to an event

Email maree.king@tauranga.govt.nz if you would like to invite the mayor to an event.

In your invitation, please describe the event, including:

  • Event name 
  • Date and time of event
  • Location 
  • An idea of who will be attending.
  • Duration of the event
  • Desired duration of the mayor’s attendance
  • Whether you would like the mayor to give a speech – if so, what you would like him to talk about and how long you would like the speech to be? (three to five minutes is the average length of a speech).

The mayor’s Executive Assistant will check his availability. If the mayor is not available, the mayor’s office may suggest that the invitation be extended to another Tauranga City Council elected representative.

For enquiries, please contact us on 07 577 7011.

For general council enquiries contact Tauranga City Council.

News

Speed limits to change outside Tauranga schools

Speed limits outside Tauranga schools will drop to 30km/h during drop off and pick up times from next year to make it safer for students.

The Government brought in a new speed limit rule in September which will see all local streets outside a school required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit by 1 July 2026.

Prior to the introduction of the new rule, Council decided in June to reduce speed limits outside school gates to 40km/h following a review of the safety risks outside schools and strong community support for lower speed limits.

Council has approved the new 30km/h variable speed limit outside the 35 schools previously approved for 40km/h zones and its implementation outside eight new schools. Council also extended the 30km/h variable speed zones to Queen Road in Ōtūmoetai, and Golf Road to Ranch Road and Links Avenue in Mount Maunganui.

Mayor Mahe Drysdale said evidence shows that a lot of crashes involving young people in Tauranga happen before and after school.

“We know that children aged five to 14 years old generally find it difficult to judge the speed and gaps in traffic and may take more risks. Reducing speed limits before and after school to help keep them safe makes complete sense, while allowing normal speeds at lower risk times.”

More than 1000 people took a survey earlier this year with more than 71 per cent in favour of reduced speed limits outside schools. More than 52 per cent were in favour of making the temporary 30km/h limit in the city centre permanent.

Over the past few months Council has been upgrading signs outside schools to support the rollout of the new variable speed zones. The new signs will stay covered until the new speed limit goes live, expected to be in early 2025.

Other recommendations approved include relocating the urban/rural boundary on Welcome Bay Road, moving the 50km/h and 80km/h speed limit change 230 metres east, and consultation with Truman Lane residents and businesses on implementing a permanent speed limit of 50km/h between Mangatawa Link Road and SH29.  A temporary 50km/h limit has been in effect for several years to reduce risks associated with the high volume of traffic bypassing the Baylink overpass project.

Posted: Dec 12, 2024,

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