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Council-controlled organisations

A Council-controlled organisation (CCO) is an organisation in which the council controls 50% or more of the votes or has the right to appoint 50% or more of the directors or trustees.

Council and its CCOs work in partnership to successfully deliver quality outcomes for our community and contribute to Tauranga Moana becoming a vibrant city that attracts businesses, people and visitors, is well planned, connected and inclusive.    

Our CCOs deliver a range of great offerings for Tauranga’s residents and visitors, including leisure, aquatic, arts, events and cultural activities. 

The benefits of CCOs include:

  • Independently managing Council initiatives and facilities.
  • Providing business and community expertise that Council may not have in-house. 
  • Being able to focus on achieving the best outcome for their particular organisation, rather than focusing on the many activities of a council.
  • Attracting some of their funding from sources other than rates. 

Applications open for the Aspiring Directors Programme 

Applications for the fourth intake of Tauranga City Council’s Aspiring Directors Programme for its Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs) is now open.

The programme aims to expand the number of people with governance experience while enhancing the diversity and depth of the governance talent pool available to organisations in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty region. 

This is a valuable opportunity for aspiring directors to gain hands-on governance experience by interning with one of the following CCOs:

  • Bay Venues Limited – Guardian of over 20 community facilities in Tauranga Moana, including Mercury Baypark and the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance.
  • Tourism Bay of Plenty – Jointly owned by Western Bay of Plenty District Council, this organisation leads the sustainable growth of the visitor economy across the coastal Bay of Plenty.

For further information about the Aspiring Directors Programme, please download the full job ad. 

Aspiring Directors Programme job advert (184kb pdf)

Non-disclosure and conflict of interest declaration form (55kb pdf) Please sign and email to Council - instructions in the job ad.

Applications close at 10am on 24 October 2025. 

Interviews will be held in Tauranga on 11 and 13 November 2025. 
 

Council cover reports

2025

2024

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Latest news

Council commits to developing joint water services delivery model

Tauranga City Council has today committed to working with Western Bay of Plenty District Council to establish a council-controlled water services delivery organisation (CCO) from 1 July 2027 (subject to due diligence).

This commitment aligns with the multi-Council CCO water services delivery model that Council consulted on in April.

The decision, made at an Extraordinary Council meeting today, also aligns with the intent of Council’s decision last Tuesday, 5 August. However there was a shift from producing an in-house water services delivery plan and transitioning towards a water services CCO by 2028, or sooner, with the Council deciding to progress a multi-Council CCO from 1 July 2027.

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council was named as Council’s preferred partner for this multi-Council CCO, with conditional approval also given for the involvement of the Thames Coromandel District Council.

“Given our decision on 5 August was a departure from the previous direction of travel, staff believed it was prudent to give Councillors information on the possible implications of retaining in-house delivery and what a change of water services model would require,” Mayor Mahé Drysdale says.

“We also received significant new information that came to hand since the 5 August decision. It was therefore important that Council took the opportunity to formally consider these matters and decide whether we wanted to reconfirm last week’s decision or consider an alternative way forward.

“The intent of the 5 August decision would likely have resulted in the same long-term outcome to where we got to today, but it better recognises a request from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council for help and certainty. As regional leaders, with a strong water service partnership already in place, a majority of Councillors voted to help out our neighbour and deliver certainty to both staff and our potential partners. 

“The best outcome for our people is that we all work together. Through scale and efficiency, all councils involved will deliver significant savings to their ratepayers. 

“Ultimately, all the data we have demonstrates that people will pay less for water in a multi-Council model than they would if we stayed delivering water as individual supply authorities.” 

Most of the resolutions from 5 August are still valid, including the consideration of matters raised by tangata whenua and the position paper they provided to Council. Similarly, the resolution to welcome discussions on future waters arrangements with other Councils in the Bay of Plenty still stands. 

The significant changes made today include a water services delivery plan shifting from in-house for 10 years to a multi-Council CCO from 1 July 2027. For now, stormwater will be managed in the CCO, with a further decision to be considered when more information is available.

Finally, confirmation was given that Council would work with Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Thames Coromandel District Council, subject to confirmation being given by Western Bay of Plenty District Council on that arrangement. 

Tauranga City Council staff will now develop a Water Services Delivery Plan based on a multi-Council CCO model, ahead of submitting the plan to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September, as required by Government legislation.  

The water services delivery plan will be reported to Council at a future meeting, the date of which is to be confirmed. 

All of the new information and correspondence that was considered at today's Extraordinary Council meeting can be viewed on Council’s website.

Posted: Aug 15, 2025,

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