Tauranga City is located on land subject to various natural hazards that includes complex soils, flood prone land, coastal erosion and inundation.
Many developments will modify pre-development landforms and drainage patterns. Potential adverse effects can include flood damage, erosion, sedimentation, water pollution, short-term slope instability and ecosystem damage. The nature of many of the soils and landforms in Tauranga City is considered by experts as being very complex and difficult to assess.
Design considerations
To view the IDC requirements for undertaking assessments and for the design of earthworks for suitable and safe platforms for the construction of buildings, infrastructure and other structures, please refer to DS-10 Natural Hazards (475kb pdf).
Geo-professional guides and technical papers for professional practice in the TCC area and the wider BOP region, referred to in DS-10 Appendix A.1, are available on the New Zealand Geotechnical Society website.
Accredited geo-professionals
To ensure the risks associated with complex geotechnical hazards are appropriately managed when undertaking building or land development, Council maintains a register of accredited geo-professionals. This register is for both Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
Accredited geo-professionals List (204kb pdf)
To view the requirements of an accredited geo-professional, please refer to Section 7 and Appendix C of DS-10 Natural Hazards (475kb pdf)
To apply to become an accredited geo-professional please complete the application below and email it to geoaccreditation@tauranga.govt.nz
Applications are assessed once a year by an independent panel. Application dates for 2026:
- 1 May - Renewal Applications Open
- 30 June - Renewal Applications Close
- 1 July - Applications Open
- 31 August - Applications Close
- Interviews will be held the week of October 19 – 23.
Accreditation fees for new and renewing geo-professional applicants are set in line with Tauranga City Council’s fees as at 1 July for the year the application is submitted. Once an application has been received, we will issue an invoice for the applicable fee.
If you have any questions regarding the accredited geo-professional process, please contact geoaccreditation@tauranga.govt.nz.