Summer Rubbish Pick-Up proposal, Whitianga RTS update and more

Published on 28 March 2025

Rethinking Summer Rubbish Pick-ups on the East Coast

Thames-Coromandel District Council is proposing to change peak summer collections for rubbish and glass recycling in our east coast communities from twice weekly to once weekly.

These communities, from Whangamatā to Whangapoua, would still have rubbish, glass, mixed recycling and food waste collected once a week from the week of Christmas to the week of Waitangi Day.

The second collection hasn’t been well used. Overall, fewer than half of properties put rubbish and glass out for each of the second collections over the peak summer period just passed. Collection trucks often had little rubbish or recycling in them at the end of their run. This is not an efficient use of ratepayer money and needlessly adds to our district’s financial costs and to carbon emissions.

Our proposal will only affect this second rubbish and glass collection in our eastern communities over the seven weeks of the peak summer period, but all wards will benefit from the cost savings. Eastern communities will save the most since they’ll see the service change, while Thames and Coromandel-Colville wards will also benefit as the rubbish and recycling budget is partially shared district-wide.

This proposal is part of the review of our Annual Plan for 2025/26, and we want to know what you think of this potential kerbside change.

The feedback period opens Tuesday 1 April and runs until 29 April.

Council adopts the final Annual Plan at the end of June, in time for the financial year beginning 1 July.

Over April and into mid-May we'll also be asking for your feedback on options to comply with the Government's new Local Water Done Well reforms and possibly on a Council rating review. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on these two issues in the coming weeks.

Read the full press release here

Construction of Whitianga’s new RTS to begin

Construction of Whitianga’s new Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station will begin as early as next month as builders for the $11.5 million project are selected.

Watts & Hughes Construction Group Ltd have now been awarded the contract to build the much-needed waste management facility.

Construction will begin in late April and the new facility, on Moewai Road, is expected to welcome its first customers in June 2026.

Thames-Coromandel District Council’s 2024-2034 Long Term Plan budgeted $11.5 million for the project. A grant of $5.9m from the Ministry for the Environment's Waste Minimisation Fund means a saving of nearly $6m dollars for ratepayers in the Coromandel.

Read the full press release here

River flooding integrated to Thames protection

Latest modelling has confirmed river flood management must be integrated into any solution to protect Thames from the hazards associated with sea-level rise. 

Over 100 people gathered at Thames Civic Centre on Monday evening to receive an update on the Thames Protection and Resilience project.  

Rick Liefting from Waikato Regional Council presented an update on river modelling which assessed flood hazard from water coming off the ranges into Thames’ streams and channels during a significant weather event.  

It showed the proposed coastal protection from Karaka Stream to the Toyota factory is unlikely to cause adverse effects on river flooding. This is because the floodwater from Karaka Stream mostly flows north, and there is a relatively low level of overflow flooding from Hape stream. 

For the area north of Karaka Stream, which is about a third of proposed area for protection, the picture changes. “If we have a bund in that area, the likely scenario is that without pumping, the structure will trap river water behind it, effectively creating a bathtub,” our Council’s project lead Amon Martin said.  

“But pumping that volume of water would require pumps bigger than what are currently on the Hauraki Plains, so there’s a lot more work to do to figure out an appropriate response for that area. The river and coastal systems act together and probably shouldn’t be separated when it comes to thinking about solutions,” he said. 

Any proposed integrated solution and associated costs will go to public consultation as part of the next Long Term Plan review. The project governance group will also recommend that our district Council formally request that the Waikato Regional Council consider including coastal protection for Thames in the existing Waihou Valley Scheme. 

Visit the website to learn more about the project. 

Commercial Concessions

We’re inviting applications for commercial operators' licences for vendors to deliver activities on Council-owned reserve land.

Applications close Monday 24 April. These will be reviewed in May, vendors will be notified in June, and licenses will be issued in July.

For more information or to submit an application, visit the link below.

Find out more

Expressions of Interest

We're looking for Expressions of Interests from businesses or organisations to operate the Visitor Information centres in Whangamatā, Pāuanui, Tairua, and Coromandel Town from 1 July 2025.

The day-to-day management will be the responsibility of the service provider, with our Council providing a set funding amount through a Service Level Agreement.

EOIs close 5pm, Wednesday 30 April 2025.

Find out more

We're halfway through Repco Beach Hop

As the festival continues, we hope you’re enjoying the classic cars, live music, vintage fashion, and dancing. To keep the good times rolling, here’s a quick reminder of a few important things:

Road closures – Detours are in place. Check tcdc.govt.nz/roads for details.
24/7 alcohol ban – In effect until 4am, Monday 31 March. Breaches can result in a $250 fine or arrest. More info: tcdc.govt.nz/alcoholcontrol
Dogs – Keep your pup on a lead in public areas. Off-lead zones: tcdc.govt.nz/dogrules
Need help? – Visit our Whangamatā Service Centre (620 Port Rd) or call us 24/7 at 07 868 0200.

Beach Hop Survey

Help us measure the impact of Repco Beach Hop - Our Council is conducting an economic impact study for the 2025 Repco Beach Hop. In 2021, 1,274 enthusiastic attendees participated in our survey, providing valuable insights. We're gathering input from event participants and spectators to better understand how this iconic shoulder season event affects our local economy and community. Your feedback is essential, and we’d greatly appreciate your participation in the survey.

Complete the survey

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