Welcome to the $45M Council Crib

Author

Storm Grimwood
June 26, 2025

Good Morning Scoopers!

It’s Thursday, and while you’ve been smashing the mahi, we’ve been cooking up something big for the Scoop. 👀 Plus, with school holidays just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to lock in your weekend plans. Check the events out below.

In today’s scoop, we’re looking at the $45M council HQ rising in the city centre, to ancient waka traditions being brought to life in Katikati.

This weekend’s cash drop is confirmed — There’s a few prizes too. So don’t miss out. Clue below! Make sure you’re following us on Instagram so you get that instant notification.

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In today’s edition:
✅ Tauranga’s new $45M council HQ opens downtown 🏢
✅ Live waka carving and lashing demos at Katikati Museum 🚣
✅ Cash Drop – Clue below 💰
✅ What’s on in Tauranga 🎡

Let’s get in 👇

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Live Māori Waka Carving Event at Katikati Museum

Western Bay Museum in Katikati is hosting a live waka craftsmanship event from June 25–29, featuring master carver Hingangaroa Smith and waka builder Haimona Brown. They’ll demonstrate traditional Māori techniques like lashing, carving, and waka construction daily from 10am to 4pm, with a midday talk each day.

The event centers around a 5-metre replica waka taua, built for wānanga (traditional learning), which was recently showcased at Katikati’s Matariki dawn service.

The initiative aims to preserve and share ancient waka traditions with the community. Visitors are encouraged to engage, ask questions, and follow the project’s progress throughout the week.

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Tauranga’s $45M Council HQ Opens

Tauranga City Council has officially opened its new $45 million administration building at 90 Devonport Road, marking a major milestone for the city. The eight-storey, mass-timber office, New Zealand’s largest of its kind, was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting and public tours. The council spent $33.5 million on the fit-out and will pay $91.9 million over a 15-year lease.

Leaders, including Mayor Mahé Drysdale and local MPs, praised the building as a sign of Tauranga’s growth and progress. Staff, previously spread across multiple locations due to black mould in the old Willow Street offices, are now centralized, boosting morale and potentially improving efficiency.

Local business owners say the influx of council staff has already revived foot traffic and trade in the CBD. The building complements the wider civic development, including the $306 million Te Manawataki o Te Papa precinct, set to finish in 2028.

$45M later… Good move or budget blowout?

Captured by @jmanyphotography

Check out all the events below! ($$ - Costs or Ticketed Events)

Music & Concerts 🎵

Daily J End of the Road Tour

  • When: Fri 27 Jun 2025, 8:00pm - 11:55pm

  • Where: Totara Street, 11 Totara Street

  • More Info: DailyJ

  • Cost: $$

Glow Bright Neon Party | Ages 12 - 15 years

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 4:30pm - 6:30pm

  • Where: Totara Street, 11 Totara Street

  • More Info: GlowBright

  • Cost: $$

Glow Bright Neon Party | Ages 5 - 11 years

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 2pm - 4pm

  • Where: Totara Street, 11 Totara Street

  • More Info: GlowBright

  • Cost: $$

Rewind - 2000's White Party

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 8:00pm - 11:55pm

  • Where: Totara Street, 11 Totara Street

  • More Info: Rewind

  • Cost: $$

Pizza Library & Bar 90s Night hosted by All Hours Collective

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 9:00pm - 1:00am

  • Where: Pizza Library/Library Bar, 314 Maunganui Road

  • More Info: PizzaLibrary

  • Cost: Free

Comedy & Screenings 🎬

The Importance of Being Earnest

  • When: Various Dates Jun 2025, 7:30pm - 9:45pm

  • Where: The Historic Village, Detour Theatre, 17th Ave West

  • More Info: Earnest

  • Cost: $$

Cult Cinema Club - The Fifth Element

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 5:00pm - 9:20pm

  • Where: The Historic Village, Village Cinema, 17th Ave West

  • More Info: CultCinema

  • Cost: $$

Parents Night Out Standup Comedy Show

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 7:30pm

  • Where: 16th Avenue Theatre, 164 16th Ave, Tauranga

  • More Info: Standup

  • Cost: $$

Festivals & Special Events 🎉

Public Art Walks with Tauranga Art Gallery Director Sonya Korohina

  • When: Thu 26 Jun 2025, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

  • Where: Tauranga Waterfront, The Strand

  • More Info: Artwalk

  • Cost: Free

Ngā Tae o te Taiao - Painting with Whenua Workshop

  • When: Thu 26 Jun 2025, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

  • Where: The Historic Village, Creative Community Campus, 17th Ave West

  • More Info: Taiao

  • Cost: $$

Bay of Plenty Young Growers - Competition Day

  • When: Fri 27 Jun 2025, 9:00am

  • Where: Mercury Baypark Arena, 81 Truman Lane

  • More Info: YoungGrowers

  • Cost: Free

Glow Kids - Silent disco & dance

  • When: Fri 27 - Sat 28 Jun 2025, 5pm - 8pm

  • Where: The Strand, Tauranga, 55 The Strand

  • More Info: GlowKids

  • Cost: Free

Bay of Plenty Young Grower - Gala Dinner

  • When: Fri 27 Jun 2025, 5:30pm - 11pm

  • Where: Mercury Baypark Arena, 81 Truman Lane

  • More Info: GalaDinner

  • Cost: $$

Bonsai 101

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 9:00am - 12:00pm

  • Where: The Historic Village, Creative Community Campus, 17th Ave West

  • More Info: Bonsai101

  • Cost: $$

Pocket Sized Play - Maker Mania

  • When: Sat 28 Jun 2025, 10:30am - 12:30pm

  • Where: Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga Library, 21 Devonport Rd

  • More Info: PocketPlay

  • Cost: Free

Pāpāmoa Polar Plunge 2025

  • When: Sun 29 Jun 2025, 9:15am - 12:30pm

  • Where: Pāpāmoa Surf Lifesaving Club, 561 Papamoa Beach Road

  • More Info: PolarPlunge

  • Cost: Free

Partner Yoga Workshop

  • When: Sun 29 Jun 2025, 3pm - 5pm

  • Where: The Dome, 5 Farm Street, Mount Maunganui

  • More Info: Yoga

  • Cost: $$

Business With Heart: Small Biz Connection & Collaboration

  • When: Fri 27 Jun 2025, 9:30am–1:00pm

  • Where: Tauranga Club, 72 Devonport Road, Level 5, Tauranga

  • More Info: Business

  • Cost: $$

Pāpāmoa Polar Plunge 2025

  • When: Sun 29 Jun 2025, 9:15am - 12:30pm

  • Where: Pāpāmoa Surf Lifesaving Club, 561 Papamoa Beach Road

  • More Info: PolarPlunge

  • Cost: Free

Markets 🍔

Tauranga Farmers Market

  • When: Saturday 28 June, 7:45am-12pm

  • Where: Tauranga Primary

  • More Info: FarmersMarket

  • Cost: Free

Pāpāmoa Community Market

  • When: Sunday 29 June, 8:30am-1pm

  • Where: Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School

  • More Info: Community

  • Cost: Free

Small Batch | Raw Mānuka Honey | Made in New Zealand
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Cheers Scoopers!

That’s today’s scoop served hot!
Think we missed something, or made a mistake? Slide into our DMs like it’s a sneaky seconds of dessert. And if you liked this, flick it to your ex, your boss, or your dog’s Instagram account — we’re not picky.

Next drop? Where warriors stood and trenches ran deep,
The wind holds whispers and cash you can keep💰

See you next week

— Storm
Tauranga Scoop