Minister visits Coromandel to assess storm damage and more news
Published on 03 February 2023
Vigilance is the watchword for this holiday weekend in the wake of record-breaking amounts of rain over the past month and the declaration of a State of Emergency for the district on the afternoon of Friday 3 February. With our soils completely saturated, wet or drying earth could move at any time, causing slips on roads or threatening people and property.
(Photo: Mayor Len signs the state of emergency declaration in the presence of our Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie, TCDC Civil Defence staff and emergency services personnel.)
Our contractors are working extremely hard to clear the roads, but the ground is very unstable and further slips and debris are likely to fall. We’re recommending people avoid unnecessary travel. If you do need to travel pack a supply of food, water and any medications and ensure you have sufficient fuel should there be a slip or road closure and you need to take a lengthy detour around to get home.
Those living on or near hillsides are advised to keep a sharp eye on signs for cracks and for indications such as doors not opening properly or decks moving underfoot. Six properties in the district have faced damage from land subsidence including three households in Thornton Bay who had to evacuate after a slip.
A further seven homes near the Koputauaki Bay community north of Coromandel Town (see photo right) evacuated overnight on Thursday 2 February as a precautionary measure, while Fire and Emergency and Civil Defence and a local community leader complete a rapid assessment of the risk and work through community support.
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand has issued a warning against swimming in beaches, rivers, lakes and streams due to the likelihood of coastal bacteria as a result of all the rain. The warning is in place until Tuesday 7 February.
It’s been positive to see communities reaching out and support one another. If you need further support coping with disruption, stress or financial issues, please contact 'Here to help u'. This service provides free support covering mental health, finances and budgeting, employment, food, and much more. Please reach out for help if you are finding things tough. 0800 568 273 www.heretohelpu.nz
Long-term support to get Coromandel’s main arterial roads up and running again was a key topic of discussions this week when Mayor Len Salt hosted Civil Defence Minister Kieran McAnulty and representatives from Waka Kotahi and the National Emergency Management Agency.
The officials did a quick tour of the Coromandel on Thursday 2 February to inspect the damage the recent series of storms has inflicted on our roading network and property.
Minister McAnulty was briefed on the emergency response from our Civil Defence Controller Brian Carter and visited our Emergency Operations Centre in Thames. The Minister also spoke to iwi and community health leaders about the welfare and community response efforts, as some communities are semi-isolated.
Mayor Len and Councillors informed the Minister how the roading damage has affected local businesses, and what support and assistance would be needed. Supply chain issues were also discussed with a view to building further resilience into the roading network to support the local economy.
“We had a very constructive discussion and we know there is a lot of work to do going forward. We look forward to hearing back on some positive solutions for our community,” says Mayor Len.
View a video of the Minister's visit.
Our Council is working with business agencies and leaders to ensure that they get the support they need to recover from the effects of the prolonged bad weather, including loss of holidaymaker customers, event cancellations and transport and supply chain issues.
Staff are currently gathering initial data and evidence from businesses and industry sectors around the district, so we have a full and clear picture of what is needed to help work through logistical, supply chain and contingency issues.
We’re also working on arranging stakeholder forums with our business sectors in the next few weeks, so we can hear first-hand from industry on options and ideas to help with recovery and ongoing resilience.
Alongside this we are working with our Regional Economic Development Agency Te Waka, our Regional Destination Management Agency, Destination Hauraki Coromandel and government agencies about what support and assistance can be provided – including any subsidies and welfare and assistance packages.
We want to hear from you about what more we can we be doing to minimise the amount of district waste going to landfill.
We’re developing a proposed action plan over the next six years towards achieving this goal – which is described in the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. We would like your feedback to fine tune the draft plan.
“We have an opportunity with this Plan to develop a strategy to put our Council on the map as a leader, innovator, and example to other councils of best practice in waste minimisation,” says our Mayor Len Salt.
“Waste is expensive, so investing now in innovative ways to reduce the amount of waste we all produce can pay big dividends down the line. Please share your innovative ideas about managing waste with us so together we can reduce the amount we’re sending to landfill and recover more material for recycling, composting and re-use,” says Mayor Len.
Go to www.tcdc.govt.nz/wmmp to read the draft plan and fill in the short survey.
Work is progressing well on the new marine and business facility at Kōpū, in spite of interruptions caused by the severe weather and king tides.
The contractors are on track to complete the earthworks and roading by the end of this month. This includes the formation of a new access road – King Street. In March the marine contractors will move onto the site to start work on the commercial wharf.
When it’s finished, the facility will consist of:
- an 80m long commercial wharf and floating pontoon enabling in-water marine servicing and vessel loading
- an expanded, unsealed haul out area and upgrade to the Quay Street entrance, suitable for truck deliveries and boat haulage to hardstands within the marine precinct;
- an upgraded, concrete reinforced slipway
- a public boat ramp and car park for recreational trailer boat users to provide safe separation from commercial activities.
The target date for the opening of the whole precinct is May 2024.
A reminder to our residents and visitors that some of our services may change over public holiday weekends - in particular, additional rules around dogs and alcohol, and the closure of our Council offices and libraries on the Monday public holidays.
Our summer kerbside collection schedule continues on Monday. If any changes are necessary due to weather-related disruptions, we will let you know on our Facebook page and our website.
Check the handy graphic below, and for a round-up of everything you need to know, visit tcdc.govt.nz/summerinfo.
The rāhui or restriction on activities at Ōpoutere Beach and the Wharekawa Harbour and River following two drownings in mid-January is due to be lifted any day now.
The severe weather and roading issues has delayed the lifting of the rāhui, which placed a restriction on recreational activities, such as fishing, shellfish collection, swimming, surfing and boating.
As soon as it is lifted, we will notify people on our Facebook page.
Due to the weather, there are a number of cancellations and postponement of events in the Coromandel this long weekend. We will be sharing information from the event organisers on our Facebook page here.
The team at Greenstone Entertainment have announced that they had to make the decision to cancel the Whitianga Summer Concert, one of three shows in the Summer Concert Tour. The decision was made after lengthy discussions with authorities, Civil Defence, our Council and Waka Kotahi. Greenstone thanked everyone for their support and patience during these trying times, and they’re looking forward to rocking again with us all in 2024. The Summer Concert usually brings in more than 15,000 people to Whitianga for an annual event over the Auckland Anniversary – Waitangi long weekends.
Destination Hauraki Coromandel, our tourism partner, have some great ideas for days with a few showers or drizzle, or for an indoor kind of a day. Check out their website thecoromandel.com.
You can find out more about upcoming events here.
Huge congratulations to Whitianga Skate School who won the Waikato Sport and Active Recreation Award for community connection this week.
The award recognises organisations that develop programmes that create connection and a great experience for its members or participants.
Whitianga Skate School offers young people a fun place to come and learn to skateboard.
Other local finalists for awards included Ride Coromandel Bike Park – Spirit of Coromandel Trust for Outstanding Active Space Initiative and Janet Mischewski, head coach at Thames Gymsports, for Community Coach.
Our Community Boards will hold their first meetings for the year over the over the next two weeks. See our meetings page for further details and the agenda and minutes closer to the time. You can also check out our YouTube Channel to watch recordings of all our meetings.
Please note: The Tairua-Pāuanui Community Board meeting will be held on Monday 13 February at 10am at St Francis House, 248 Main Rd North, Tairua, not at the Whangamatā Office as incorrectly stated in Our Coromandel advert published in the recent editions of the Tairua Local Advertiser and Pāuanui Post. We apologise for the confusion and appreciate readers bringing this to our attention.
If you're heading out on the water over the upcoming long weekends, help play your part to keep this fast-growing seaweed from smothering our native species and habitats.
This seaweed – exotic Caulerpa - has been found at Great Barrier Island and Great Mercury Island, and anchoring and fishing restrictions are in place.
Here’s how you can help stop the spread:
- If you're on the water and you see weed on your gear, chuck it straight back.
- If you find something on your gear later when you’re in a new location, don’t put it in the sea. Put it in a plastic bag or bucket and put it in the rubbish back on land.
- If you’re on a boat and pull up anchor, check and remove any seaweed from the anchor or chain.
To find out more, click here.
Boaties, don't forget there’s now a smarter way to pay for launching and trailer parking at ramps where fees apply.
Simply scan the QR code with your smartphone, camera or Google Lens and follow the easy prompts to pay – right at the ramp.
Work is due to start on Tuesday 7 February on a nib-kerb project on Rutherford Road, Whangamatā (between Aickin Road and Harbour View Road).
Speeds will be restricted and sections of Rutherford Road will be closed in one direction for the majority of the works. Works are expected be finished approximately 10 May (weather dependent). Works will be suspended for the Whangamatā Beach Hop event in March and the road made suitable for use during this time.
The sequence of work will be as follows:
- eastern side of Rutherford Road from Aickin Road to Tuck Roa
- eastern side of Rutherford Road from Tuck Road to Harbour View Road
- western side of Rutherford Road from Harbour View Road to Tuck Road
- western side of Rutherford Road from Tuck Road to Aickin Road.
Working hours shall be between 7am and 6pm Mondays to Saturdays, with no work on long weekends.
If you’d like to know more about the project, please ring customer services on 07 868 0200.
Are you ready to change your scene? Our Council is hiring now and we have opportunities for engineers, planners, administrators and more.
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Check out our latest job vacancies here.