Parks, Playgrounds and Reserves

There are approximately 2000ha of parks and reserves in the Thames-Coromandel District. We are one of the most scenic areas in New Zealand due to our dramatic topography and coastline, our native forests, and our diverse coastal settlements.

The Department of Conservation also has a huge estate on the Coromandel, with plenty of tracks, huts and things to see and do. Visit their Coromandel webpage.

Find a park or reserve

All of the Parks and Reserves in our district can be found on SMART Maps.

Find a park or reserve now

Find a playground

Some rules

No camping permitted on our parks and reserves.
You need permission from us to operate a vehicle.
Dogs allowed in our reserves, but need to be under control on a leash - see our dog section for more information about our dog exercise areas.
No horses allowed unless under the continuous control of a person or properly secured and in a reserve, or part of a reserve, specified by us as an area where a person may take or ride a horse.
No fires (including fireworks) other than a gas barbecue or in a barbecue provided by us, without prior written permission from us.
No firearms permitted without prior written permission from us.
Generally no golf allowed on our reserves.
No commercial activity permitted, without a commercial concession.

Management of our green spaces

Reserve Management Plans (RMPs) provide direction for the day-to-day management of reserves and the factors that impact upon these reserves, and they establish clear directions for their future management and development, where appropriate.

They provide a basis for assigning priorities in work on reserves and budgeting, and they contain information on the historical and cultural significance of your community’s land.

Click here to read more, including the current RMPs and more information about our draft plans we are reviewing.

Trees

We have a district tree strategy for all public trees in each area which reinforces the natural values of each of our settlements.

A Tree Master Plan identifies trees that contribute to a town's character and ensures certain species are used for all future plantings. This unifies areas of town, and serves to embrace and enhance local character.

Trees on our land that have historic significance will be identified and placed on a Historic Tree register. There is also a provision in the current District Plan for private property owners to nominate Notable Trees on their property for inclusion in the Tree Register.

Local Residential Planting

A Local Residential Planting scheme allows property owners who would like to have trees planted in their street to start their proposal by offering a financial contribution for local residential planting.

The contribution may cover the cost of purchasing, installation, and an 18-month maintenance period, which will be undertaken by our staff. Ongoing tree maintenance will also be our responsibility.

Personal Memorial Seats on Council Reserves

We are going to place a moratorium on accepting requests to place personal memorial seats on reserves in all ward location.

We currently maintain a large number of personal memorial seats on reserves across the district and in recent times have found there is shortage of suitable locations for the placement of any more seats.

Some requests to place memorial seats on reserves also do not clearly align with the Thames-Coromandel District Council General Policies Reserve Management Plan, particularly the relevance of the feature to the community, its appropriateness and the ongoing ease and cost of maintenance.

If circumstances change in the future, we will consider lifting the moratorium.

Applications for other commemorative features (such as plaques, monuments, trees etc.) will continue to be assessed in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Thames-Coromandel District Council General Policies Reserve Management Plan.