Among the first decisions to be made at the first meeting of the new Tauranga City Council on Wednesday afternoon are picking who will chair the council committees.

The committee structure is how the council goes about its work, with each one making recommendations for the full council to make decisions on.

The councillors are expected to agree upon a committee structure which comprises two main committees, which comprise all councillors; both the Strategy and Policy and the Projects and Monitoring committees.

The Hearings Panel membership is also to be decided at Wednesday's council meeting.

It is likely to include the returning councillors already certified to sit as commissioners in what is a quasi-judicial role. They are the City Plan Hearings Panel Commissioners David Stewart, Wayne Moultrie, Bill Grainger, Catherine Stewart.

Greg Brownless and Mike Baker are expected to also be included on this panel, although neither is a sitting councillor. They will remain on this panel until the current Annual Plan is adopted in early 2011.

Council membership of the Tangata Whenua/Tauranga City Council Committee is also to be decided, and the council representatives on the special committees: the Airport Committee, the Racecourse Reserve Operation and Management Committee, the Wastewater Management Review Committee.

There are also council appointments to the joint committees: the Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council Joint Governance Committee, the Smartgrowth Implementation Committee, the BOP Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and the Joint Road Safety Committee.

There are also seven councillors to be appointed to the Events Support and Community Investment Subcommittee.

Councillors are also required for the Mauao Steering Group, the Waiari Kaitiaki Advisory Group and the Summer Activity Taskforce.