A message from Mayor Mahé with Mahé Drysdale

If you’d like to hear more about the key decisions, priorities and investments shaping the future of our city, or have some feedback or questions, I encourage you to join me and our councillors at the community sessions across Tauranga this month.

We’re calling these ‘Engaging with our People’ sessions. They’re a chance for us to share where the city is heading, hear what matters to you and answer any questions you have about the draft Annual Plan 2026/2027, and as we start looking ahead to the next Long-term Plan.

The draft Annual Plan 2026/2027 maintains the direction set through the Long-term Plan 2024-2034, while bringing a stronger focus on affordability and value for money.

We know people are feeling the pinch, and that’s front of mind in our decision-making.

At the same time, we still need to ensure the basics are running well, invest in essential infrastructure, and keep pace with growth. There are genuine trade-offs in that, and no simple way to balance it all. That’s why it’s important we front up to talk about it.

You’ll see that balance reflected in the proposed average rates increase of 7.5% for 2026/2027, down from the earlier Long-term Plan forecast of about 10.9%. Delivering savings for our community is also evident when tracking debt levels and operating costs since our council was elected, with actual numbers trending below long-term plan forecasts.

This is a trend our council is focused on continuing throughout our term and something I’ll be talking about in more detail at our session being held at the University of Waikato Tauranga campus on May 28.

You can find more information about this and the other ‘Engaging with our People’ sessions on the Tauranga City Council website: www.tauranga.govt.nz/engage