Tauranga City Council And GHD Win Gold For Cutting Reliance On Consultants

Tauranga City Council and engineering consultancy GHD have won gold at the national ACE Awards for a groundbreaking digital initiative that’s helping organisations throughout Aotearoa save time and money on infrastructure projects.

Rising population growth and unprecedented demands to maintain and renew assets meant Tauranga was facing an infrastructure crisis – but the council had no digital engineering capability and staff were spending hours manually searching for information.

The council partnered with GHD to pioneer a new approach that empowered the organisation to become self-sufficient and break the cycle of relying on consultants.

The council appointed internal staff champions who shadowed GHD specialists to build their knowledge, embed new systems and get equipped to train others throughout the organisation.

Over three years, the council evolved from a digital novice to an industry leader, and its methods have now been adopted by Christchurch City Council, Wellington’s CentrePort and Auckland Transport.

ACE New Zealand Chief Executive Helen Davidson said awards judges were impressed with GHD’s pioneering approach that went far beyond traditional consulting.

“This project has had a huge impact, not only at Tauranga City Council but on the wider industry. We know we need to increase productivity in the infrastructure sector and this is a game-changing innovation that will save time and money.

“Huge congratulations to GHD and Tauranga City Council – it’s a great example of a council partnering with a consultant on a project that adds value and leaves a legacy.”

The ACE Awards celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s best consultants working in the built and natural environment that go above and beyond ‘business as usual’ to deliver projects and initiatives.

Tauranga City Council and GHD took out the ‘special gold award’ – the top award of the night – alongside three gold award winners, eight silver award winners and two merit award winners at the 2025 ACE Awards Gala. The event took place at Auckland Museum on Thursday 23 October and included an Emerging Leader Award, Diversity and Inclusion Award, Futurespace Award and Client Award.

Davidson says the ACE Awards tell a compelling story about the value consultants bring to the communities they serve – improving transport networks, developing neighbourhoods, creating vibrant buildings and public spaces, providing access to clean water, and delivering a better future for people and the planet.

"We have an exceptional pool of talented people in New Zealand who manage complex projects and deliver world-class solutions that keep our country moving and communities thriving. These awards showcase what is possible and celebrate the people at the heart of creating a better future for Aotearoa.”

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