Our weekly wrap-up: Latest water reform news, plus get ready to vote
Published on 15 August 2025
TCDC open to working with other councils on water services
Earlier this week, our Council requested Ministerial support for Thames-Coromandel District Council to be able to continue the process of due diligence around developing a joint Water Services Organisation with Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
Tauranga City Council voted today to overturn their earlier decision on 5 August to form a standalone in-house water services unit. Instead, they voted to form a joint Water Services Organisation with Western Bay of Plenty District Council and our Council.
This, however, is subject to Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s approval.
Under the government’s Local Water Done Well reforms, councils must submit a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP) by 3 September for government approval that details how they will deliver future water services in a financially sustainable manner; either through an internal unit, a council-controlled organisation or joining with other councils to form a Water Services Organisation (WSO).
TCDC staff are preparing two versions of a WSDP to submit to the government and our Council will meet on Wednesday 20 August to deliberate and approve the plan.
Our Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie has said forming a joint WSO with Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty would be our district’s preferred outcome, but that TCDC was also well prepared to go it alone with an internal water services unit.
Still need to enrol?
Now’s the time to ensure you’re enrolled to vote on election day in October. Every voice matters and helps to shape the future of our district.
Missed enrolling or updating your address? Your voting papers won’t be sent in the mail, but you can still vote. Just contact our Electoral Officer on 0800 922 822 or email specialvotes@electionservices.co.nz to request a special voting pack. The last day to enrol is Friday 10 October 2025 and voting will close at 12 noon on election day, Saturday 11 October.
Special votes will be available from Tuesday 9 September to Saturday 11 October 2025, and can be delivered to or cast at any of our district offices.
See more here
Meet the Candidates
Want to hear directly from the people standing for Mayor, Council or Community Board? Join your local, community-run ‘Meet the Candidates’ events that have been shared with us. It’s a great way to learn more about who’s standing, what matters to them and how they plan to represent your area.
Meet the Candidates events here Check out the full list of candidates
New Resource Recovery site opens in Whitianga
Diverting waste from landfill in Whitianga is about to get easier.
Mercury Bay Resource Recovery Centre/Wāhi Tukurua has opened with support of our Council’s Waste Minimisation Fund. You'll find them next to Council’s Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station on South Highway, Whitianga. Check the Wāhi Tukurua website for opening hours, as these will vary in the initial months.
Having a site makes it easy for Mercury Bay locals to donate reusable materials such as leftover building supplies, furniture, gardening gear, and tools and thereby reduce the amount of material we’re sending to landfill.
If you are not able to drop things off yourself, the Wāhi Tukurua team provides a pick-up service by appointment across Mercury Bay. Call 022 184 4256 to discuss your needs. Online sales via the website help fund this community initiative.
Find out more
Tōtara Valley Infrastructure Development
Ground investigations took place this week as part of the Tōtara Valley services extension project to enable residential housing development in the area.
Letters to residents were hand-delivered two weeks ahead advising that access to the upper part of Tōtara Valley Road was being restricted to residents-only during the middle of the day on Thursday 14 August. Contractors were operating a rig at points along Tōtara Valley Road and taking soil samples.
These investigations are a necessary step before undertaking detailed engineering design and construction planning for Stage 2 of the infrastructure project, which is expected to start in October 2026. Stage 2 works involve:
- widening Tōtara Valley Road to 9.5 metres (from Ngāti Maru Highway to the Sawmill Road intersection)
- a 2.5-metre-wide shared pedestrian and cycle path
- extension and improvements to water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
We will be sharing further details with the community as plans firm up as a result of these investigations.
Find out more about the project here
Stormwater upgrade underway on Hetherington Road, Whangamatā
Shick Construction crews have made good progress on the stormwater upgrade along Hetherington Road and have been enjoying positive connections with residents and regular walkers passing the site.
The footpath in the reserve linking the Marina and Hetherington Road (next to Breakers Motel) will be closed from Monday 25 August for a few weeks. With construction vehicles moving to and from the compound stockpile area and work happening nearby, it’s simply not safe for the public to use this walkway.
We know this is a busy path, especially in the mornings, and we apologise for any inconvenience while the closure is in place.
This upgrade is part of our six-year programme to improve stormwater network performance and reduce flooding risk. Construction on Hetherington Rd is expected to be completed by summer 2025, and there are also traffic disruptions during this time, so please plan your travel accordingly.
See here for more project details
Boundary Creek Bridge, Thames Coast Road
Waka Kotahi NZTA has awarded contracts for the replacement of Boundary Creek Bridge on SH25 on the Thames Coast, with work due to start in early October. A new, safer two-lane bridge and slow traffic passing bay at the southern bridge approach will be in place well ahead of summer holiday traffic.
The road will be closed for up to seven days, beginning in the week immediately after Labour Weekend, to allow for the demolition of the old bridge deck and installation of the new one. The bridge deck is being pre-fabricated and work hours extended to keep the closure to a minimum. Emergency services have been involved in planning for the project and will have plans in place for the closure period.
The road is expected to be open to two-lane traffic from early December.
Read more here
Boat Ramp closures
Two of our boat ramps will be closed for about three weeks in August while maintenance works take place.
- Wyuna Bay boat ramp will be closed from 25 August
- Long Bay boat ramp closed on Monday 11 August.
Scheduled water shutdowns next week
As part of scheduled maintenance, water supply will be temporarily shut off in the following areas:
• Wednesday 20 August, 9am–3pm – Onemana Drive and surrounding areas: Banbury Place, Tuna Place, Titiro Place, Russell Bruce Place and The Grove.
• Thursday 21 August, 9am–3pm – The Drive, Whangamatā.
Please plan for your water needs during these times.
Pest plant removal marks first stage of Gemstone track reinstatement
The removal of pest plants across the reserve surrounding Waimata Gemstone Bay marks the start of work to reinstate the track to the picturesque beach.
Waimata Gemstone Bay was one of several Coromandel locations impacted by extreme weather events in 2023 which damaged Department of Conservation (DOC)-managed tracks. In July, DOC announced it would be reinstating tracks to Waimata Gemstone Bay, following news in May the Hahei Beach Short Walk would be rerouted and repaired.
Michael Sparrow, DOC’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove Sustainability Project Manager, says work to remove the weeds at Waimata Gemstone starts this week. “It’s a small but important first step on this project. We’ve arranged for four kaimahi (workers) from Coromandel iwi Ngāti Hei to remove these weed species from the reserve,” Michael says.
Read more here
Teamwork blooms on the dunes
Last weekend dedicated volunteers joined our Coastcare planting event along the Pipi Road dunes (Beach Access 11–12) in Whangamatā. Together we planted 2,352 native spinifex, pīngao and wiwi to help trap sand and rebuild eroded dunes - plus dug holes, dropped fertiliser, stacked trays, baked scones and even fired up the BBQ. A huge thank you to all our helpers that turned up to lend a hand.
These endemic plants send out runners that slow wind, capture sand and strengthen dunes over time. Alongside planting, dune care involves weed and pest control to protect young shoots and seeds from being smothered or eaten.
You can help by using marked accessways, respecting signs and fencing, and getting involved in local dune care. Join the Whangamatā Dune Protection Society (info@whangadunes.org.nz) or follow Coastcare on Facebook for more upcoming events.
Tired of Wasting Food (and Money)? Let’s Beat the Bin, together!
Our Council is helping Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s campaign to reduce food waste.
The average Kiwi household throws away up to $1,200 worth of food every year, that’s around 16 bags of perfectly good kai straight into the bin. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Waste less, save more, and feel good by taking on Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s Beat the Bin Challenge today. A super simple, three-week email challenge packed with practical tips and bite-sized actions to help you cut down food waste at home. From smarter storage to creative leftover ideas and more, you’ll learn easy ways to make your food and money go further.
Ready to Beat the Bin?
Challenges are better with mates! Rally your whānau, workmates, or flatties and see how much fun you can have saving food (and the planet) together. And just to sweeten the deal there are great prizes to win, including 1 of 3 $500 grocery vouchers when you complete the challenge in August, and lots of spot prizes along the way.
Sign up for free here
Hauraki Māori Business Awards
The Inaugural Hauraki Māori Business Awards aims to celebrate excellence, innovation and resilience within Māori enterprise. By providing a platform, the organisers are aiming to showcase and elevate our businesses locally and nationally.
This kaupapa not only recognises success but also fosters growth, creates new opportunities for procurement and investment, and reinforces the interconnectedness of iwi businesses within our rohe.
By uplifting Māori enterprise, we are ensuring sustainable prosperity for future generations.
Where: Silver Fern Farms Events Centre, 44 Stanley Avenue, Te Aroha.
When: Friday 17 October 2025. Doors open at 5.30pm
Have a business and want to enter? Want to attend?
See more here
Creative Communities Scheme
Applications for our Council's Creative Communities Scheme are now open, so be sure to get yours in by Friday 29 August.
The scheme, backed by Creative New Zealand, aims to increase participation in the arts, broaden the range and diversity of the arts available to communities and enhance and strengthen the local creative sector.
Got a project in mind? If it meets one or more of the funding criteria below, we’d love to hear about it.
- Access and participation – The project will create opportunities for local communities to engage with and participate in arts activities.
- Diversity – The project will support the diverse arts and cultural traditions of local communities, enriching and promoting their uniqueness and cultural diversity.
- Young people – The project will enable and encourage young people (under 18 years) to engage with and actively participate in the arts.
Find out more Fill out the online form
Could you be Pepper's perfect match?
Pepper is a gorgeous female boxer-cross with a sweet nature and a heart full of love. She’s well-behaved, adores human company and will happily be by your side for life’s adventures (or lazy days on the couch!).
If you’re ready to give Pepper the forever home she deserves, please see the details below or feel free to phone us on 07 868 0200 for any questions.
Details here
Rally of Coromandel: Next weekend
The Rally of Coromandel returns as part of the New Zealand Rally Championship, with racing on Saturday 23 August and a Street Party kicking off festivities on Friday evening in Whitianga.
There’ll be rally stages across iconic Coromandel roads and a special spectator stage, plus a chance to see the action up close at Rally HQ at Mercury Bay Sports Park.
A colouring competition is open to local primary school students, winners will ride in a rally car!
Note: Road closures will be in place on 22-23 August.
Find out more
Calling all artist for this year's Artbeat Spring Festival
Creative Coromandel/He Mana Toi Moehau Trust is the central arts network for the Coromandel Peninsula and the Hauraki rohe.
They’ve got you covered with the latest arts news, events, and what’s going on.
They advocate on behalf of the creative industries in our area and offer opportunities and resources to foster our creatives and communities.
Check out their latest August 2025 Pānui: News from around the rohe on what’s been happening in the creative industries. Read all about Tekla-Smith in New York, the artbeat is back, Corrosive Moses, a Fauré Festival, and Lizzy Leckie Mapping Colour.
Read here
Work with us
We offer a diverse range of career opportunities.
Our current job vacancies are:
On behalf of Destination Hauraki Coromandel:
