Careers Roadshow dates, kerbside info and a Porritt Park update
Published on 02 February 2024
The latest from Mayor Len
Fresh on the heels of the Anniversary weekend is Waitangi Day on Tuesday next week, with many people taking the opportunity to take Monday off to make it an extra-long weekend. There’s bound to be lots of traffic on the roads so take your time and drive to the conditions please.
The weather’s looking mostly fine, so it’s a good opportunity to check out some of the farmers’ markets around the district, visit your favourite beach or go for a bush walk. Find out about markets on our regional tourism organisation’s – Destination Hauraki Coromandel – website.
If you’re in Thames, please extend a warm welcome to the bowlers coming to compete in the 50th National Aotearoa Māori Bowls Tournament at the Thames Bowling Club and other venues in the area. I wish the competitors the best of luck and hope they can find the time to have a look around the district while they’re here.
Our Council received good news this week in the form of government approval of $1.3 million to fund slip stabilisation work in Thornton Bay on the Thames Coast. This will help protect properties and public infrastructure from further slope instability. Read more on this below.
This project is a reminder that our cyclone recovery work continues. Behind the scenes at Council, elected members and staff are working on preparing our Long Term Plan for the next 10 years. While we’re looking for as much external funding like the Thornton Bay grant as possible to fund recovery work, it won’t pay for everything. We’re going to have to make some hard decisions about what we can and cannot do. We’ll have a public consultation on the Plan through March into early April, and your feedback during this period on our proposals and various options is of immense benefit. Please be engaged in this process and give us your informed opinion. Information on the draft Long Term Plan and how to provide feedback will be widely available from early March, so watch this space.
Funding awarded for Thornton Bay slip stabilisation project
Our Council has been approved to receive $1.3 million to fund slip stabilisation work in Thornton Bay, on the Thames Coast, from the government’s Cyclone Recovery Unit’s Local Government Flood Co-investment Fund.
Thornton Bay was impacted by a significant slip during the severe weather events one year ago. A large volume of material slipped from predominantly public conservation land onto multiple private properties, significantly damaging two of them (pictured above).
There is ongoing land instability which poses a risk to private properties and public infrastructure including roading, freshwater, stormwater, and wastewater networks, and telecommunications and power networks.
“It’s fantastic to receive news today from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) about the funding commitment,” says our Chief Executive Aileen Lawrie.
“This funding is a significant contribution towards the design and construction an engineered solution to stabilise the complex area affected by the slip. This will go a long way to alleviate anxiety for our local residents by adding much-needed resilience to the properties and infrastructure located above the slip site which are at risk from land instability issues,” she says.
No change to kerbside collections next week
A reminder that kerbside collections will be unaffected by Tuesday’s public holiday for Waitangi Day. Our contractors Waste Management will continue collections as planned on Tuesday 6 February and for the rest of the week. There will be no alterations to collection days.
Work set to start on Porritt Park redevelopment
Thames’ popular Porritt Park will be closed to the public from Wednesday 7 February until May 2024 while work takes place to upgrade play equipment, including introducing a new, bespoke designed boat, climbing tower and lookout.
Construction is scheduled to last three months. While the park will be closed over this time, the toilets will remain open to the public, except for occasional closures while vital work takes place. The park closure was planned to ensure it took place after the busy summer school holidays, so as to ensure minimum disruption to family recreation.
The project is a collaborative initiative between our Council, Thames Business Association, Ngāti Maru, Future Landscapes (the designers), and Rotary Charitable Trust.
The project has been made possible by a significant donation from a philanthropic couple. Community fundraising is still underway. To contribute, please email porrittparkproject@gmail.com or drop a donation into the collection jar on reception at Thames Council offices.
Register your business for our Careers Roadshow
Our Council is facilitating a collaborative Careers Roadshow next month, from Monday 19 to Friday 23 February.
These are being hosted by each of the local secondary schools and will be attended by all senior students, with time allocated each day for the public and local jobseekers to attend.
We invite registrations from any businesses who are looking for staff, or who want to promote careers in their field. Please forward this invitation on to your networks and anyone who may like to register.
Registrations for the Roadshow close today, Friday 2 February. You can register for one or more days. The roadshow is open from 10am until 3pm at each location, with times varying slightly for each area.
If you have any questions, please contact Social Navigator Sheryll Fitzpatrick: sheryll.fitzpatrick@tcdc.govt.nz.
Five new bus stops added to free Coromandel Town-Thames van trial
We’re pleased to share that five new stops have been confirmed for the trial of the Coromandel Town-Thames Connector van service. These will be sign-posted and in use from Wednesday February 7, until the end of the trial on Monday 18 March, 2024. They are as follows:
New stops
• Te Puru: Corner of Thames Coast Road and Aputa Avenue.
• Waiomu Reserve
• Tapu Reserve
• Te Mātā Point Reserve
• Manaia: Parking bays at Te Wharekura o Manaia (off Goldfields Road).
Existing stops
• Thames bus stop: 200 Mary Street, outside the Civic Centre
• Coromandel Town: Woollams Avenue carpark
The service runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (see the full schedule in the poster or project page below). Tickets are free, but booking is essential as the vans hold up to 11 passengers. To book, please text the correct provider shown on the schedule below. Please include your name, the service time and the location you are being picked up from.
The trial will run until Monday 18 March 2024 and next steps will be decided based on community feedback and sustainable funding options.
Long Term Plan gears up for public feedback
Our Council is on track to have our proposals for the draft 2024-2034 Long Term Plan (LTP) ready for public feedback next month.
In particular, we’ve prioritised the resilience of our district. We’ve taken another look at some of our services, budgets and who pays for these, to ensure they are fit for purpose.
There are some tough decisions to make and we’ll be needing your help to make them. We’ll have more information on the feedback process closer to the time.
Niho Ora Ki Hauraki – Free Mobile Dental Initiative
Please encourage whānau to register for this FREE Mobile Dental Service. This is open to people who live in the Hauraki or Thames Coromandel District Council areas that are 19 years or older and qualify for a community services card. Please share with anyone who may be interested in using the service.
The Mobile service will be in different locations during the school holidays. The service has just completed a stop in Thames and will be in Manaia next school holidays. This is in collaboration with Whatu Ora, Te Tara o Te Whai (PHO Hauraki) and Dental Planet with support from MSD.
What's on?
Kid's Club Kite Day
Opportunities at our Council
Our current job vacancies are:
At our Council we ensure work-life balance is not just a dream but a reality. We offer an array of staff benefits including; flexible work arrangements, relocation allowance, free parking, sick leave on commencement of employment and more.
Adoptable dogs
Dogs for adoption
Minnie is a male about 8/9 months old. He's very sweet and loves cuddles and attention.
Sonic and Kunckes are two fun-loving Labrador brothers who are looking for a home. They're about 7/8 months old and love being active. They also love pats and cuddles.
If you are interested in adopting a dog, please contact us on 07 868 0200. Once your interest is known a Dog Control Officer will be in contact with you to discuss the adoption and carry out the appropriate checks, this may include a visit to your property.
Please note that some people may not be acceptable for adoptions and that we reserve the right to make decisions on the most suitable homes for any dogs available for adoption.
If your adoption is successful, you will be required to register and microchip the dog prior to taking it home.
