Mayor Len is looking forward to hosting his first citizenship ceremony at the Thames War Memorial Civic Centre on Thursday, 15 December. He’ll be formally confirming citizenship of 25 people who have chosen to make New Zealand and Thames-Coromandel their home.
We’re delighted to announce that our Council's new, improved website is live. You can still find everything you need at the same web address – tcdc.govt.nz.
It features more up-to-date design, better navigation, a working search function and more accessible content.
Some information might be in a different place. Use the search function at the top right corner of any page to help you find what you need.
As with any big website re-platform, there may be some things we have missed. If you can't find the content you need, please let us know on customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz. Our team will help guide you to the correct place, or let our digital team know that something is missing and needs to be updated.
All important functions like the consent tracker, maps and forms remain fully accessible.
Thanks for your patience while we continue to make tweaks to give you an even better user experience.
Action-packed itinerary for ward visits
Community Board members from Coromandel-Colville and Mercury Bay Wards joined our district Councillors on a tour of their wards.
Coromandel-Colville Ward Visit
Elected members visited the new ‘hub’ site for Coromandel Independent Living Trust, built on land transferred to CILT from our Council, to help to meet the area’s social and community needs.
A 3D presentation was given on design re-alignments for the Coromandel Town bypass route. A new land development project was outlined by Harataunga (Kennedy Bay) Block Development Collective to provide affordable Papakainga housing for whānau as well as opportunities for eco tourism, apiculture and sustainable horticulture, forestry and farming.
The group visited Ride Coromandel Bike Park to learn more about the Spirit of Coromandel Trust. Our Council is a partner in the bike park, and has provided land, technical expertise and development funding. Elected members had fun trying out the park’s trails and pump course.
The final stop of the day was Te Kōuma to visit Te Ariki Tahi/Sugarloaf wharf.
Mercury Bay Ward Visit
Elected members visited the new Whitianga Refuse Transfer Station site and learnt about future recreational development at the Sherriff Block, as well as a lesson on coastal erosion and how our Shoreline Management Pathways project will address this. They also looked at iwi Treaty settlements for Paparoa/Shakespeare Cliff and Cathedral Cove car park with Ngāti Hei kaumātua, Joe Davis.
The new Freedom Camping Bylaw came into effect this week and six new Freedom Camping Ambassadors have been appointed to make people aware of the rules in local spots.
Freedom camping is permitted in most public areas unless it is prohibited or restricted in our new bylaw, Department of Conservation rules or national legislation.
Check out the bylaw for where you can and can’t freedom camp locally. tcdc.govt.nz/freedomcamping.
Upcoming Meetings: Our Council’s next meeting is at 9am on Tuesday 13 December. The public are welcome to attend. For agendas, recordings and schedules of meetings, check out this link.
While our online payment system is being upgraded on Tuesday 13 December it will be out of action from 3pm until about 8pm.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience while we work to upgrade this application.
There’s 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. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can still pay in person at our Council offices and participating retail outlets.
A reminder that the new QR payment system has replaced the physical ramp permits. tcdc.govt.nz/boatramps.
2023 Coromandel Food Trail Guide
The 2023 edition of the Coromandel Food Collective’s Food Trail Guide is underway for the year ahead.
If you make or sell local or artisan produce and products, including beverages, we'd love to hear from you. It's free to be included.
Find out more and register your interest here.
Have Your Say
Local Government Review
The Government’s draft report into the Local Government Review has now been published. A consultation is now open to gather public feedback.
Find out more and have your say.
Know somebody who's looking for summer work? Our Council's solid waste contractor Smart Environmental has job opportunities on its crews doing rubbish and recycling collection runs as well as at our Refuse Transfer Stations. Visit tcdc.govt.nz/summerjobs for more information.
Bookmark our jobs page for regular postings of other vacancies at our Council.
Work Updates
Kōpū Marine Precinct
Despite the wet weather, good progress has been made on excavating the commercial car park area and hand-cutting the larger mangroves closer to the river.
Fulton Hogan finished installing the stormwater culvert on King Street, which completes works on this section until later in 2023 when the kerbs will be constructed and the final asphalt seal is laid as one of the final activities of the project.
The marine soil under and around the Kōpū Marine Precinct is extremely sensitive. Because of this, our contractors Fulton Hogan are going to great lengths to ensure that the base of the pavement is as strong and compacted as possible.
By placing a specially-manufactured cloth called geotextile (the white material in the photo) below certain layers of rock, the pavement is further stabilised and it will ensure the surface remains strong for years to come. We are also allowing the surface adequate time to ‘settle’ - meaning it is left to sink before topping up the rock material to create a more compacted surface.
Once the mangroves on the foreshore have been cleared and the area backfilled, eight-metre piles will be driven down to provide further stability to the pavement that will be constructed in 2023.
The Fulton Hogan team will be taking a well-deserved break over the Christmas period, pausing work on 22 December and returning to the site in the second week of January.
Whitianga Refuse Transfer Station
Work’s progressing for the new Refuse Transfer Station in Whitianga. The site’s now cleared for construction, with above and below-ground surveys completed as well as stormwater infrastructure.
Work on the water services will start this month and the office building will be constructed in the new year. However, there are some supply chain delays which may mean the site opening may be later than March 2023. We are working on an updated timeline with contractors.
Matarangi Jetty
The work on replacing the piles on the Matarangi Jetty is underway with the jetty closed while it takes place.
The weather may cause disruption or slight delays. However, we are still on track to get the repairs completed before Christmas.
Matarangi Omara Boat Ramp Reserve
Arborists will be removing two trees and deadwood from the pine trees at the freedom camping area next to the boat ramp.
The area will be blocked off and no access is available Monday - Wednesday next week.
Onepoto Reserve Wharekaho
Repair work has been completed at Onepoto Reserve and the path has been reopened.
Road works
Click here to view our works programme
Work on Council-run roads for the week beginning 12 December 2022 is as follows (weather dependent):
Construction
- Coromandel area: Colville Rd retaining wall, Albert St bridge replacement, Port Charles Rd rehabilitation
- Thames: Tōtara Valley Rd/SH25 intersection upgrade
Sealed roads maintenance
- Coromandel area: Woodroffe Rd drop-out repairs, Wyuna Bay Rd drainage works
- Mercury Bay: Blackjack Rd slip clearance and drop-out repairs, area-wide kerb and channel sweeping
- Whangamatā: Wentworth Valley Rd scour repair, area-wide kerb and channel sweeping
- Thames area: Adams Rd drainage, area-wide culvert waterblasting
Unsealed roads maintenance & grading
- Coromandel area: Fletcher Bay Rd scour repair, The 309 Rd grading, Tapu Coroglen Rd grading, Rangihau Rd grading, Mill Creek Rd grading, Kennedy Bay Rd grading
- Tairua: Te Kauanga Rd bulk metalling
Footpath repairs
- Coromandel area: Pound St new concrete footpath
- Pāuanui/Tairua: area-wide concrete footpath repair
Vegetation
- Thames: area-wide and CBD weed spraying
- Hāhei: Tutaritari Rd tree removal
Traffic services
- Network-wide: streetlight maintenance
- Coromandel area: area-wide line marking
- Mercury Bay: area-wide line marking
For State Highway road works check out Waka Kotahi’s Forward Works programme.