Big win for our shoreline management work and more in our wrap-up
Published on 09 June 2023
The latest from Mayor Len
We’ve received two pieces of really good news this week.
First, on Wednesday, Associate Transport Minister Kiritapu Allan announced the construction plans for the bridge over the collapsed portion of SH25A. Work at the site will begin within the next two weeks, beginning with building all-weather access tracks for the machinery and establishing site offices.
The government signalled some time ago that the contractors would be announced in early June and so it’s reassuring to see that commitment being met. The design of the bridge itself is a simple, off-the-shelf one which can be partly fabricated off-site, to speed up the process of spanning the 110-metre gap in the road.
The economic – and social – recovery of the Coromandel can’t really begin to be in place until this vital lifeline is reconnected, and it’s good to see that the government understands this and that Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency are putting this into effect.
At the same time as the bridge is being built, the closure of SH25A will be used to remediate and make more resilient key weaknesses on the remainder of the road.
Beyond SH25A, we’ve established a partnership approach with Waka Kotahi to restore and make more resilient the transport network on the Coromandel. This includes State Highways and strategic local roads such as The 309 Road, Tapu-Coroglen Road, Colville Road and Kennedy Bay Road that provide alternatives to the State Highways or access to significant parts of our district’s population. Up to 50 of the most vulnerable sites on the SH25 loop around the Coromandel as well as on local roads are being identified as part of an investment case that will be put to the Board of Waka Kotahi in order to make these roads better able to withstand extreme weather events.
The other good news is that our Council’s Shoreline Management Pathways project won a significant award in the local government sector for environmental leadership. See more on this below, but the award is a tremendous achievement, reflecting years of hard work by staff, members of our communities, iwi, and other partners such as Waka Kotahi, Waikato Regional Council and government. Thanks to this work, our district now has an evidence-based path forward to consider how we cope with hazards including sea level rise that affect our coastal communities.
Over the next two weeks we’ve got a round of Community Board meetings that culminates in our Council meeting of Tuesday 27 June when our Annual Plan will be adopted. Check our website www.tcdc.govt.nz/meetings for the dates and to review the meeting agendas. People are always welcome to present to Community Boards and Council in the public forum of each meeting. Just let us know to expect you. And if you can’t make a meeting, you can catch a recording of it on our website.
Our Council’s Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie and I are looking forward to meeting with the Thames Business Association on Tuesday next week. We’re also holding a forum next week for all the district’s business associations, in conjunction with Destination Hauraki Coromandel and the Ministry of Social Development, to share ideas on developing local plans to support business recovery efforts utilising funding from the Cyclone Gabrielle Business Recovery Fund.
Also next week, on Thursday, I have the honour of swearing in new citizens and welcoming them to the district – one of the more formal, but joyous, occasions of being mayor.
Big win for our shoreline management work
Our Council’s Shoreline Management Pathways project has won a significant award at the Taituarā local government excellence awards.
At a ceremony held in Wellington last night, the SMP project received the GHD Award for Environmental Leadership.
The award recognises projects that provide tangible benefits to the environment, or showcase leading practice in managing environmental impacts in the local community. Importantly, the winning approach had to be transferable to other local authorities.
Our Council’s win reflects over three years of comprehensive work to understand the risks to our coastline and communities from the effects of sea-level rise. The SMP project set out 138 adaptation pathways specific to the aspirations and concerns of each of our communities, and the principles of kaitiakitanga.
In deciding the award, judges commented, “We were taken by the extensive community engagement on a highly complex set of decisions at the intersection of science, policy and property rights. Sixty-six councils have a coastline making this one of the most transferable of this year’s entries."
“I’m delighted that the incredibly hard work of a large team of our people has been recognised in this way,” says our Mayor Len Salt. “This project has meant, and will continue to mean, having difficult conversations about complex science with our communities, and this award is an important acknowledgment that we’re going about things the right way.”
In accepting the award, project lead Amon Martin noted that the project is not finished, but has entered a new phase of implementation in partnership with mana whenua, Regional Council and government, which will include working with Waka Kōtahi and others.
A governance prioritisation group is now deciding which mitigation projects from the SMP to prioritise, with 89 pathways requiring action in the short-term.
The governance group will use a dual factor assessment process which considers both the urgency of projects and their importance in relation to social, environmental, economic, community and tangata whenua criteria.
It will then make recommendations on action to Council for adoption and funding considerations. The scoping and prioritisation phase is expected to be completed this calendar year, and the results will inform Council’s 2024 Long Term Plan.
Find out more about the project and the adaptation pathways for your favourite bit of coast on our website at tcdc.govt.nz/smp. Click the link for the Adaptation Pathways iReport to find the strategies and pathways for your area.
Road to Recovery
We are continuing to focus on repairing infrastructure, while providing support to businesses and communities to recover and plan for the future. Below are our key updates from around the region:
Read more
AA services available in Whangamatā and Whitianga
Because of the long-term closure of SH25A, we’ve worked with AA and Waka Kotahi to make AA services more available twice monthly in Whangamatā and Whitianga.
AA’s mobile unit can complete all the transactions that are done at the Thames counter with the exclusion of motor vehicle registration and plate transactions:
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All driver licensing transactions (except overseas conversions)
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AA Membership renewals and new joins
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RealMe Identity verification
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IRD personal number applications
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SuperGold – image request for card
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International Driving Permits
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Passport Photos
Where and when:
Whangamatā War Memorial Hall, 328 Port Rd
9am-4pm, except 12:45-1:15pm for lunch break
6 & 19 June
7 & 17 July
7 & 21 August
Whitianga TCDC Board Room, 10 Monk St (through the back car park)
8:30am-4:30pm, except 12:45-1:15pm for lunch break
9 & 30 June
10 & 24 July
11 & 28 August
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency State Highway 25/25A updates
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency are working on the final stages of clearing slip material from Cyclone Gabrielle along the Thames Coast. If there are no further wet weather events causing more damage, they expect to have this completed by July.
See their other work updates to improve roads in our area.
More here.
NEMA's Cyclone Recovery Unit weekly update
The Government continues to work closely with regions, including ours, affected by recent weather events and our recovery efforts. See the latest summaries from the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Waka Kotahi Transport Agency.
Read more
Business Impact Survey
We are asking businesses to fill in our latest business impact survey. The information provided will allows us to present an accurate overview of the on-going affects of this year’s storms – and measure how businesses are managing since Cyclone Gabrielle.
By completing this survey you will help us strongly advocate for the needs of our local businesses and industries.
Take survey
Your views on Create the Vibe
This month we’re canvassing local views of the Create the Vibe space so a final decision can be made about the future of this area in Mary Street, Thames.
The street has been closed to vehicles for more than two years so the street can be used as a community space.
We’re visiting the space to interview users and there is an online survey you can fill out until 25 June.
Have your say
Yello! It's dog rego time
You can now register your new dog or renew an existing registration online.
Don’t hesitate – get your dog registered before 1 August to avoid late payment penalties.
Register here
We need your help in caring for our Coast
In the successive storms we’ve had recently, sand dunes have done their job, acting as a sacrificial barrier between the ocean and the land. We need volunteers with upcoming planting days:
- Opito Bay: Saturday 10 June, 9am. Meet at Stewart Stream toilets.
See more
Tairua Skatepark update
Preserve Cory Park Domain Inc has lodged an application for a judicial review of Council’s processing of the Tairua Skatepark Project. While we wait to hear from the court about case management, including timetabling, our Council will continue to work on the project, with construction expected to begin in July with completion by the end of the year
Project details
Upcoming Council and Community Board meetings
Our next round of Community Board meetings will commence next week.
Copies of agendas, reports and minutes are available online or at Council offices by request, two days before the meeting.
Details here
Dogs looking for new homes
We have three male dogs available for adoption:
1. He loves cuddles and knows some basic commands.
2. A very sweet fun loving dog that wants to be with people.
3. A laid-back, cruisy lad.
More here
Make sure your business is optimised and visible
The official Hauraki Coromandel regional website is Destination Hauraki Coromandel's largest and most important marketing asset - a platform through which they aim to inspire and connect visitors with every corner of our region to plan their visit. It is rich in content and has listings from many of our businesses, providing a one-stop site for visitors.
Read more
Are you local government material? Start your career at Council
We're looking for people with ability and passion to create sustainable change in our community. As one of the largest employers in our district, we offer a diverse range of career opportunities.
Senior Emergency Management Officer - We are one of the most active Civil Defence and Emergency Management Districts in New Zealand and in this role, you will be ensuring Council and our communities are well informed, capable, resilient, and ready to respond to declared and undeclared emergencies and Civil Defence responses.
Technical Support Officer – Solid Waste - Provides activity management support, project management support, contract management support and general administrative support for the Solid Waste Team. You will ensure a customer focused approach is provided to all customers and key stakeholders with professional, accurate and relevant information provided.
Why choose Thames-Coromandel?
The Coromandel offers breath-taking scenery, golden beaches, and remarkable rainforests. Our district offers a peaceful, restorative atmosphere with plenty of opportunities for adventure. Our district is only 90 minutes from the big cities: Auckland, Tauranga, and Hamilton. Close enough for a regular commute, but far enough for a complete change of pace. That sets our district apart.
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