New kerbside bins roll out, rates rebates clinics, and more
Published on 28 July 2023
This week I’ve been in Christchurch with some of our Councillors at the Annual General Meeting and annual conference of LGNZ (Local Government New Zealand), which is our sector’s advocacy and support body that lobbies the government on our behalf and provides learning and development opportunities for elected representatives and council staff.
The event brings together the country’s mayors, chairs, chief executives, councillors, key partners of local government and renowned keynote speakers.
The AGM elected a new President, Selwyn District Council Mayor Sam Broughton, and Vice President, Hutt City Council Mayor Campbell Barry.
The LGNZ conference has the ability to influence government policy through the adoption of remits that members submit.
For example, at the AGM remits were submitted on road sealing maintenance and road infrastructure – sounds dry but these are big ticket items for councils and how its funded impacts directly on our budgets and property owners’ rates. LGNZ will now work on having these adopted into government policy. This was part of a wider discussion about working collectively with other councils to raise the level of investment into storm-damaged infrastructure. If we can work together, we’ll have a much stronger voice.
In the past the discussions at this conference were around development and growth; this is now shifting to resilience and adapting to climate change. This shift is also reflective in the work being done at our Council to change the narrative and a direct result of the storm-related damage to our district.
There were also really important discussions around future wellbeing – making sure that decisions we make now benefit future generations. Shifting decision making from the short term to focus on inter-generational equity.
We also had a session on the impact of ‘future’ technology like artificial intelligence, looking at how things are done nationally and internationally, and a session on how to fund future growth and development.
All in all, it was an interesting and fruitful gathering.
Also this week I’ve been thrilled to bits about Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s announcement of lower speed limits on parts of State Highway 25. We were approached by community members who live near schools, marae, shops, care homes to get speed limits lowered on the highway and we pushed very hard for this. It was community driven, championed by Council and enabled by Waka Kotahi. Waka Kotahi put these changes through at short notice and it’s a direct result of the changed traffic patterns from the closure of SH25A. There’s sound evidence elsewhere in New Zealand and internationally that lower speed reduces the risks and severity of crashes.
Rubbish and recycling upgrade underway
Deliveries of two new bins for our upgraded rubbish and recycling service started this week. The new bin roll-out is taking place in a staged process between 27 July until Saturday 2 September.
Deliveries to Hikutāia, Kauaeranga, Kōpū, Matatoki, Ngārimu Bay, Pūriri, Ruamāhunga, Tapu, Tararū, Te Mātā, Te Puru, Thames, Thornton Bay, Waikawau, Waiomu and Whakatete Bay started on Thursday and will continue until 11 August. See tcdc.govt.nz/binrollout for the full schedule of the roll-out.
Households are receiving two new bins - a red-lidded 140-litre wheelie bin for general rubbish and a 25-litre food scraps bin. For delivery purposes, the food scraps bin will be inside the rubbish wheelie bin.
Please open the food scraps bin to find the information leaflet telling you all you need to know about the full upgraded service which starts in September 2023. Attach the leaflet to your fridge or noticeboard as a handy reminder.
Or have a look at the leaflet online here.
What do you need to do?
Wheel your bin inside the boundary of your property and store it in preparation for the start of the collection service from the first week of September. If you’re not at your property, please arrange for a neighbour or friend to wheel your bin inside.
Collection days
Your upgraded rubbish and recycling service starts on 4 September 2023 and will operate five days a week, except on public holidays.
For some communities it will mean a change of collection day and time. We are grateful for your co-operation and support for this change.
How does it work?
Collections of rubbish and recycling are based on red and yellow weeks.
The district has been divided into 11 collection zones, each of them allocated a day of the week for collections.
One week is a red week for the collection of general rubbish and food scraps. Please place your rubbish wheelie bin (with a red lid) and food scraps bin kerbside on your allocated day.
The next week is a yellow week for the collection of mixed recycling, your glass crate and food scraps. Please place your yellow-lidded mixed recycling bin, your glass crate and food scraps bin kerbside on your allocated day.
Collection schedule
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Whangamatā South, Mercury Bay South
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Whangamatā North, Onemana, Ōpoutere, Whitianga
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Coromandel Town , Te Kōuma & Manaia, Coromandel Rural North, Thames Coast, Mercury Bay North
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Thames & Surrounds, Thames Rural South, Tairua
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Downloadable kerbside calendars
Downloadable kerbside calendars from September 2023 to December 2024 for each of these 11 pick-up areas will be displayed on our web pages from August. tcdc.govt.nz/rollout
Or contact our friendly Customer Services team.
Last chance to register your dog without penalties
Yello! You're almost out of time to register your dog to avoid incurring late payment penalties.
You’ve got until midnight on Monday 31 July to jump online or come into one of our Council offices and get your dog registered for the next year.
You can now register your new dog or renew an existing registration online.
Register a new dog: Fill out our online form to begin your registration. A team member will contact you with payment information soon after.
Renew a dog registration: You can do this all online including payment, simply follow the link below.
www.tcdc.govt.nz/dog-rego
Rates Rebate Clinics
Applications for the 2023/24 rates rebate year from Te Tari Taiwhenua | the Department of Internal Affairs are available for those who are eligible. The maximum rebate this year has increased to $750.
Need help? Drop into a rates rebate clinic
We are holding a series of rates rebate clinics at our service centres to help you through the application process. Our Thames clinic starts next week on Monday 31 July and runs to 4 August. Appointments are required so make sure you call to book your spot.
For those in Tairua-Pāuanui, there’s a special one-day clinic next Thursday 3 August. No appointment is needed - from 9am to 12 noon at Pāuanui Community Hub and from 1pm to 4pm at Tairua Library.
Thames, 515 Mackay St: From 31 July - 4 August. Call us on 07 868 0200 to book an appointment.
Coromandel Town | Whangamatā | Whitianga: No appointment needed. Drop into our Council offices during office hours any time before 30 June 2024:
- Coromandel Town, 355 Kapanga Rd
- Whangamatā, 620 Port Rd
- Whitianga, 10 Monk St
Pāuanui | Tairua: Thursday 3 August - one day only. No appointment needed.
- Pāuanui Community Hub, 23 Centreway - 9am to 12pm
- Tairua Library, 2 Manaia Rd – 1pm to 4pm
What do I need to bring?
- If you receive interest from your bank or investments, you will need to get a Resident Withholding Tax (RWT) certificate from your bank or investment company
- Obtain a summary of earnings from Te Tari Taake | Inland Revenue.
If your only source of income is superannuation, no proof is required and Te Tari Taiwhenua | the Department of Internal Affairs will provide this information.
You have until the 30 June 2024 to apply for a rebate in the current rating year.
tcdc.govt.nz/ratesrebate
Community Planting Day: Whangamatā
On Saturday morning, join our coastal restoration team for a community dune planting day in Whangamatā. Everyone is welcome – we'll meet at 8.45am at Island View carpark for a briefing. Bring covered sturdy footwear, suitable clothing, gardening gloves, sun/rain protection, water, and a clean spade.
Healthy dunes are wide, gently sloping and have many dune plants to help anchor them. Without these plants, the sand blows away and dunes disappear – leaving the land vulnerable to
weather and wave surges. By joining a planting day, you're playing an important role in caring for both our coast and native biodiversity.
Find out more about our collaborative coastal restoration projects here:
tcdc.govt.nz/dunes
Natural Hazards Portal launched
Toka Tū Ake EQC has just released their Natural Hazards Portal, allowing people to explore risks around natural hazards in order to inform decision-making. You're able to geospatially view Toka Tū Ake's natural hazard claims data to better understand previous natural hazard events in specific areas.
The goal is to build awareness of and resilience to natural hazard risks. People can use the Portal to:
• Improve understanding about natural hazard risk.
• Understand how natural hazard events may impact individuals, homes, and communities.
• Explore where natural hazard events have occurred in New Zealand before.
• Consider the actions to take to manage risk and build resilience.
This information will help people to understand if natural hazards have previously caused damage to their properties and communities and to consider what actions have been, or could be, taken to build resilience.
Visit the portal at Naturalhazardsportal.govt.nz.
Road to Recovery: Mayoral Relief Social Recovery Fund opens
New temporary speed reductions on SH25
Over the next six to eight weeks Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will introduce temporary speed reductions for sections of State Highway 25 (SH25) to manage safety risks due to an increase in traffic.
Click the image provided to download a PDF version.
Since the closure of State Highway 25A between Kōpū and Hikuai in late January following severe weather events, traffic has increased on SH25 as travellers use the highway to get to and from the east coast of the Coromandel.
“We’re pleased that Waka Kotahi has listened to the concerns we and our communities have raised on this issue,” says our Mayor Len Salt.
“We’ve understand the impact of increased traffic travelling at high speeds through local communities, in areas where there are pedestrians and cyclists and near schools/kura and marae,” says Cara Lauder, System Manager Waikato for Waka Kotahi.
“The community is also concerned about the increased risk of crashes and near misses on the narrow sections of road so we’re reducing speeds through the many small communities and along the winding sections along the Thames Coast.”
A small change in speed can make a big difference to the outcome of a crash.
“New speeds of 50km/h, 60km/h and 80km/h will be introduced along much of the 54-kilometre route between Thames and Coromandel Town, and at a number of locations on the east coast, which should make it safer,” Ms Lauder says.
The new speeds will come into force in each location as signage is installed.
Waka Kotahi has worked closely with our Council to consider the wider impacts of the proposed safer speed limits on the local roading network.
In addition Waka Kotahi is continuing recovery and maintenance work, and scheduling this to minimise impacts on road users, landowners and communities.
The temporary speed reductions will be removed once the bridge reconnecting SH25A is open.
Business Resilience top priority for Coromandel-Colville
CCBA has been gifted boxes of lights from local residents Allan and Joy Green, which will be used to brighten Coromandel Town on special occasions.
Supporting events and business resilience is high on the agenda for the newly revived Coromandel-Colville Business Association (CCBA), which was officially incorporated last week.
CCBA has been appointed to deliver a programme that will provide targeted support to registered businesses within the Ward, making use of $75,000 in funding from the Ministry of Innovation, Business and Employment through its Business Association Support Programme.
“We’re here to be a strong voice for our businesses,” says CCBA chairperson Jeni Ashman. “It’s not just about making money, but about building business resilience. It’s about business support, training and mentoring – the one-on-one stuff.” Among other things, the Association is currently working on adaptability workshops as part of a joint initiative with other business associations around the Coromandel.
“It’s very exciting to see the level of support - people want to belong to the CCBA and they recognise we need to work together to get through the challenges,” says Jeni. The Association is conducting a survey of the businesses in its area and found that online support, closely followed by networking, were high on the feedback list.
CCBA is also keen to advocate for a return of the Auckland-Coromandel Town ferry, which was discontinued last year amid maritime labour shortages. “It’s a vital lifeline and we’re pleased to see our Council taking a lead with that,” says Jeni.
CCBA will hold its first official "after five" get together next Wednesday 3 August at Pepper Tree Restaurant and will hear from the Ministry of Social Development about what support can be offered by them in the way of staff retention, recruitment, and training.
CCBA is open to all business within Coromandel-Colville Ward. If you’d like to attend or become a member, please email ccbaaccts@gmail.com.
Robinson Road Pontoon
Robinson Boat Ramp pontoon is expected to be out of action on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd August, weather allowing, to undertake repairs resulting from storm damage. The rest of the ramp is still available during this time.
Alternative launching sites within Whitianga include Whitianga Wharf Boat Ramp (which has a pontoon), Dundas St (no pontoon) and Brophys Beach Boat Ramp (no pontoon).
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding as we complete the necessary maintenance.
Opportunities at our Council
Calling all planners!
We currently have two positions available for District Plan and/or policy planners, catering to candidates at any level of expertise: be it graduate, intermediate, or senior. Join our team and discover an extraordinary opportunity, regardless of your level of expertise.
Economic Development Advisor (Fixed term)
This is an exciting time to join the Economic Development team as an Economic Development Advisor. Working with our Economic Development Lead you will deliver projects that improve the social and economic wellbeing of our communities by supporting our local economy to become more productive, resilient, and sustainable.
Join our team as Principal Advisor - Climate Change and lead our efforts in creating a sustainable and resilient future for our community. This newly created role presents a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact, providing the Council with invaluable advice and support on climate change matters