The Triennial Agreement sets out the protocols for communication and co-ordination amongst the councils during the triennium.

The Triennial Agreement is between the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Rotorua, Taupō, Western Bay of Plenty and Kawerau District Councils and the Tauranga City Council.

The Local Government Act 2002 requires the Council to enter into an Agreement with all local authorities within each region, no later than 1 March after each triennial general election. The Triennial Agreement sets out the protocols for communication and co-ordination amongst the councils during the triennium.

The Council adopted the Bay of Plenty Triennial Agreement (PDF, 495 KB) on 5 December 2016.

The Triennial Agreement is the main instrument to co-ordinate the work of the different local authorities who need to collaborate with a variety of agencies to find solutions to other issues, including the local authorities. Additionally, the Local Government Act 2002 enabled regional councils to engage in activities that had been the preserve of territorial councils, and with this change came the potential for confusion to develop as to roles and responsibilities.

The general empowerment of local authorities under the LGA 2002 has highlighted the need for new approaches to local and regional governance and introduced a requirement under section 15 for each council to collectively enter into a Triennial Agreement with each other.