Our District Today
The Thames-Coromandel District is a magic part of New Zealand. Located on the Coromandel Peninsula, the District is largely surrounded by sea, with views across the Firth of Thames and Hauraki Gulf to the greater Auckland Region on the west coast and the Pacific Ocean on the east coast. The Thames-Coromandel District is one of twelve districts in the Waikato Region, which is the fourth largest region in the country.
The District is home to over 50 diverse coastal settlements and rural communities, each with its own unique character, needs and expections for the future.
The District is serviced by seven main settlements - Thames, Coromandel, Matarangi, Whitianga, Tairua, Pauanui and Whangamata. In addition, there are a large number of smaller settlements located across the District, including those at Cooks Beach, Whangapoua, Port Charles, Te Puru, Tapu and Hikutaia.
While the promise of riches from gold mining and kauri logging originally attracted large numbers of people to the District in the mid 1800s, the Peninsula's stunning beaches and coastline, dramatic landscapes, abundant bush and wildlife make this area the gem of the Waikato Region today.
Our History
Maori settled in the District from the waka of Tainui, Te Arawa, Mataatua and Matawharorua throughout various historical periods and they lived here for many centuries before Captain Cook arrived in 1769. Europeans first came in the late 1840s and engaged in trading, kauri logging, mineral development, farming and fishing. Later in the 19th century the Peninsula became a hive of activity and Thames was the third largest town in the country. Eventually the kauri and accessible gold were exhausted and the gum market destroyed. The District fell into an economic and social decline which has since recovered through the gradual growth of farming, fishing, plantation forestry and tourism.
Our Environment
The Thames-Coromandel District covers approximately 217,200 hectares of mainland and offshore islands. The District is defined by the Coromandel Range which forms the spine of the Coromandel Peninsula. Small, steep and forested catchments which drain into the Firth of Thames are typical of the west coast. Mount Moehau dominates the landscape at the northern end of the Peninsula, while the east coast comprises of rolling hill country, flood plains and associated estuaries and sand spits. The southern area of the District lies on the edge of the Hauraki Plains which is well known for its productive peat soils. Clusters of offshore islands are coastal features around Coromandel, Mercury Bay, Tairua, Pauanui and Whangamata.
The Coromandel Peninsula's ecosystems are the result of diverse landscapes, climate and the impacts of urbanisation and land use. The Peninsula's landscapes provide habitats for a range of indigenous and threatened native flora and fauna including kauri forest, scrubland, tuataras, weta, frogs, kiwi and seabirds. The effects of human activities and the threat of introduced pests such as possums and stoats are all placing pressure on the District's ecosystems. As the number of people and dwellings in the District continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important that these ecosystems are managed sustainably for the future of the District.
To find out more about what our District community wants to achieve now and in the future, take a look at the Community Outcomes page.
You are also encouraged to find out more about local plans developed by our communities.