Help us shape the future of the Coromandel Peninsula

Published on 15 July 2026

Thames-Coromandel District Council is asking people across the district to imagine the Coromandel Peninsula in 30+ years’ time and share their views on what it should look like.

The Council is in the early stages of developing a district-wide spatial plan that will guide how towns, communities and the wider district grow and develop. It will also indicate where housing, businesses and infrastructure (such as roads and water) should go, and where there are valued environmental and cultural areas that should be protected.

Acting Mayor John Grant says hearing from communities is essential.

“Spatial planning is about providing a vision for communities. It is critical for future thinking in setting a long-term direction." 

Acting Mayor Grant said the exercise also was about facing realities and understanding the challenges ahead, while making the most of opportunities and choosing the best path forward,

Even with council facing local government reform, Acting Mayor Grant said it was important the spatial planning process went ahead.

“To make sure this plan is a reflection of what is important to our communities, we need to hear from everyone who lives, works and plays on the Coromandel Peninsula.”

 The first phase of engagement, called Imagine Coromandel Peninsula, is about confirming the vision and outcomes for the district. Council is using the vision and outcomes agreed in the 2009 Coromandel Blueprint, the last district-wide strategic plan, as a starting point for our engagement.

“Outcomes are the specific results we want to achieve to make the vision real. Think of them as what needs to be done for the vision to be achieved.

“The vision and outcomes will shape how the spatial plan is developed and ultimately, what each town and the wider Peninsula will look like in the future. So, it’s important to get it right, and we can’t do that without you.”

What we are asking

From 15 July to 12 August, we're asking people to tell us:

• If the vision and outcomes set out in the Coromandel Blueprint still reflect what you think is important for the future for the Coromandel Peninsula (these can be found at www.tcdc.govt.nz/imagine)
• What the Peninsula has today that needs to be kept, changed or removed, and
• The biggest challenges and opportunities you see ahead.

Your feedback will help confirm the vision and outcomes for the plan and set the direction for the next stage of the project, where we’ll consider a number of options for what the Peninsula could look like in 30+ years’ time.

How to get involved

You can have your say by:

• Visiting www.tcdc.govt.nz/imagine and completing our online survey
• Completing a hard copy survey and dropping it off at any library or service centre, and/or
• Coming along to a community event and speaking with our team.

We’ll be holding a number of events across the district, and you’ll also see us popping up at sports games, markets and outside supermarkets. If you spot us, come and say hi.

Event information and full details are available at: www.tcdc.govt.nz/imagine

This is the first of several opportunities for people to contribute to the development of the spatial plan. We’ll continue to share updates with you as the project progresses.