Council emergency management manager Paul Baunton led the evacuation planning.
He said that as recently as four years ago there were a lot of assumptions but not much reliable information about how tsunami flooding would impact Tauranga.
The council worked with natural hazard experts to understand the extent of the tsunami risk as accurately as possible.
"Once we understood the risk we were able to develop a strategy that ensures the community has clear walking routes to reach safety," Baunton said.
"Tonkin and Taylor's ongoing contribution to the tsunami and evacuation modelling has been essential to the process and they are rightly acknowledged alongside Tauranga City Council with the CDEM award."
The council said it was "firmly established" as Australasia's leader in tsunami evacuation planning. It was viewed as a pioneer in providing at-risk coastal communities with innovative self-evacuation strategies and solutions.
One example was the purpose-built, high-ground structure at Gordon Spratt Reserve - a Southern Hemisphere first.
Richard Reinen-Hamill, of Tonkin and Taylor, said the council had long led the way in managing the effects of natural hazards.
"Working with specialist experts and stakeholder groups, council has developed an innovative and national leading approach to provide effective emergency evacuation.
"The Tonkin and Taylor team of planners, coastal and civil engineers are proud to have worked with the project lead, Paul Baunton, to develop and implement the emergency evacuation plan," Reinen-Hamill said.
Baunton said work to improve accessways and build new safe locations was ongoing.
"The city has come a long way in just a few years. I feel privileged to have helped lay a solid foundation towards a world-class tsunami evacuation network."
