Weekly Wrap-Up: Ferry resumption welcomed, election candidate profiles
Published on 05 September 2025
Coromandel ferry news welcomed
Businesses and residents not just in the Coromandel but in the Auckland area too are celebrating the news that Explore Group is reinstating the Auckland to Coromandel Town ferry service this summer, just in time for Labour Weekend, which should provide a great boost to the area’s economy.
The service will initially operate an express Friday evening service, as well as Saturday and Sunday departures, with plans to increase the schedule with demand. A shuttle bus will take passengers to and from Coromandel Town and Hannaford’s Wharf where the ferry will arrive and depart, connecting with Auckland’s Viaduct.
The journey will take just over two hours and passengers can relax and enjoy the scenic cruise through the eastern Hauraki Gulf.
“It’s been great to work with Explore Group and the Coromandel Business Association to bring back the ferry connection,” says our Council’s Economic Development Lead, Mitch King.
Coromandel Business Association Chair Jennifer Ashman says, "Positive input from the community has demonstrated local demand from businesses, locals and visitors alike and contributed to the successful reestablishment of a service that will be invaluable to connecting our community.”
Prices for a return trip from Auckland’s Viaduct to Coromandel Town (including bus transfer) are: $135 per adult and $67.50 per child. There will also be an option for extended transfer to Whitianga: $185 per adult and $92.50 per child.
Get to know your election candidates
Have you seen our Local Election candidate videos yet? Don’t miss out.
Candidate profiles for our Mayoral, Councillor, and Community Board elections are now online.
Mayoral and Councillor candidates answered three quick questions — Who are you? What are your priorities? Why should people vote for you? — with a 90-second video filmed at our Council offices in Thames, Coromandel Town, Whitianga and Whangamatā.
Community Board candidates have provided written statements for you to read.
Participation was voluntary, and the views shared are the candidates’ own. You’ll also find any public contact details they’ve chosen to include.
Check them out and get to know the people who want to represent your community.
Check out the videos and statements now
Flushed with success
Tourism Infrastructure Funding (TIF) from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has augmented ratepayer – and in one case community – funding to provide new and upgraded toilets for key visitor areas around our district.
The upgrades have also included a new motor caravan dump station at Whangamatā. Check out what's been achieved so far ahead of the busy summer season – and a huge thank you to everyone who has helped to make it happen.
New or upgraded toilet facilities are located at:
- Cooks Beach Reserve, funded by the Mercury Bay Ward ratepayers
- Pūrangi Reserve, funded by the Mercury Bay Ward ratepayers
- Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, funded by Mercury Bay Ward ratepayers and TIF
- Coromandel Bike Park, funded by TIF (photo above)
- Waikawau, Thames Coast, funded by Waikawau Boat Ramp Society, TIF and Thames Ward ratepayers with collaboration from Ngāti Tamaterā
- Matarangi, funded by TIF
- Kōpū, funded by TIF
- Cory Wright Domain, Tairua, joint funding from Tairua-Pāuanui Community Board area ratepayers and TIF
- Port Rd, Whangamatā, partially funded by Whangamatā Community Board area ratepayers and TIF.
Find out more here
Vandalism to public toilets in Mercury Bay
In the past month, toilet lights have been stolen four times across Mercury Bay facilities, including at Brophys Beach, Mother Browns Creek and the new Buffalo Beach toilets.
This ongoing vandalism is not only costly but also creates serious health and safety risks, with toilets left in complete darkness and live wires exposed.
As a result, and to protect our community, these will now be locked at night until further notice.
We have reported this damage to the police and ask our community to help by keeping an eye out for suspicious behaviour.
If you have any information, please contact police and quote reference number 250829/9449.
Thank you for helping us look after our public facilities.
Govt taxes 10 times more than rates
A new report is out which shows just how stretched local government is. For every $1 you pay in rates, you’re paying $10 in taxes. Yet councils own more than a quarter of New Zealand’s infrastructure and keep the essentials running: roads, pipes, parks, pools, libraries and public transport.
The Local Government New Zealand Infometrics report highlights the challenges councils face in funding essential services and infrastructure.
A report prepared by the Treasury has warned that rates are “significantly below the level they need to be” to fund those services. Years of pressure to keep rates and debt low have left councils with ageing assets and rising demand.
Councils want to keep rates affordable, but they can’t do it alone, LGNZ says. They need fairer funding tools from central government to make sure communities don’t miss out.
Read the report
Thames Centennial Pool latest
Due to the impending elections a decision by the full Council on the future of an aquatic facility for Thames has been put on hold until a new Council is in place and informed to make a decision.
Thames Community Board recommended to Council earlier this year that a $26.2 million dollar facility on the grounds of Thames High School be built to replace Thames Centennial Pool.
Check out our project page, where we answer questions from the public
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Building Consent stats
Our Building Consent team has closed the books on the last financial year, ending 30 June 2025, and recorded a small 2.8% decrease from the previous year, with 1,085 applications received.
However, one area – complex residential (Res 3) applications – increased by 17%, showing strong growth. These applications cover places where lots of people live together such as:
- apartments
- multi-storey flats
- larger residential care homes or boarding houses where people live in groups.
Because of the extra size and risk (e.g. fire safety, structural loads, evacuation), these applications need higher technical skills from Council staff to check the design and building work.
More than 98% of applications were processed within statutory timeframes. The average processing time was 12.95 working days
It was another busy year for building inspections, with around 8,500 inspections completed:
- Coromandel: up 32.9%
- Thames: up 50.8%
- Tairua/Pāuanui: up 16.8%
- Mercury Bay: down 22.4%
- Whangamatā: steady
A total of 858 Code Compliance Certificates were issued, with only three outside statutory timeframes.
Council museum collaboration a hit with tamariki
More than 500 tamariki from local and neighbouring schools were able to learn about earthquakes and other local hazards thanks to a collaboration between Thames-Coromandel District Council Emergency Management and Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga.
Our Council’s emergency management team invited schools and covered the entry costs for children visiting the museum to view the Rūaumoko Restless Land display, on loan from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) for six weeks.
The team provided additional resources for the display, offering information on what the localised hazards are for our local communities and how best to prepare for them.
The Rūaumoko Restless Land display has now ended but there are still many amazing things to explore at the Thames Museum.
Photo: Kaiaua School principal Carrie Taipari-Thorne with some of her students exploring the Rūaumoko Restless Land display
Find out more about our local hazards here
Find out more about the museum here
Community Board catch-ups
Our Community Boards had their final meetings of the electoral term. Find out about their decisions and discussions:
Tairua-Pāuanui Community Board - 25 August
Discretionary grants
Discretionary funding was approved ($42,610 total) for the following applicants:
Remaining discretionary budget: $24,390
Cory Park Domain public convenience: Work has started and is on schedule.
Pāuanui Chelmsford Place Playground renewals: Work began on Monday 25 August.
Pāuanui Skate Bowl renewal: Geotechnical investigations are scheduled to begin in September to assess sub-surface conditions and inform the requirements needed for a long-term, resilient solution.
Whangamatā Community Board - 26 August
Discretionary Fund decisions
Onemana Basketball half court
The Board recommended that Council approve $35,000 from the Land Subdivision Reserve to support a new half basketball court at Onemana Beach Front Reserve, alongside $20,000 raised by the Onemana Residents and Community Association.
Whangamatā Marina sublease
The Board recommended that Council approve a formal sublease arrangement that allows Coastguard and Waikato Regional Council to continue sharing space at the marina.
Heatherington Road stormwater upgrade
Work is progressing well and expected to be finished by mid-November.
Thames Community Board - 27 August
The Board approved discretionary grants worth $25,859 for initiatives related to its top three priorities: children and young people, community safety and promoting Thames and tourism providers.
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$9,200 to Thames Museum Society to engage a professional fundraiser for 12 months in order to raise money for a museum extensions, building improvements, and various display improvements including a korowai cloak for its Taonga Māori Gallery
That leaves $84,398 in the discretionary budget for the rest of the financial year. The Board recommended that the incoming new board endorse the same three priorities for community spending, and undertook to provide a report with options for considering in deciding the allocation of the remaining funds.
Coromandel-Colville Community Board - 2 September
The Board approved a total of $13,200 from its 2025/2026 Discretionary Fund, as follows:
Project updates
The Board considered four options for the location of a taxi stand to be run by Coromandel Taxi, and supported the choice to locate the stand outside the Four Square store. Staff were asked to arrange the installation of the taxi stand before Christmas 2025 ahead of the summer season, subject to it meeting the requirements of Council's Parking Bylaw.
The Board received the CAPEX Work Programme for 2025/26 and requested an update on the Hauraki House carpark resealing. Our Council’s project team is co-ordinating with the Hauraki House Committee. Building work to refurbish the ex-scout den will be done first, followed by the carpark resealing. Tenders are out for the building work, and the project is expected to be finished by Christmas 2025.
Mercury Bay Community Board - 3 September
New name for Hot Water Beach right of way
The Community Board approved Ngātūturu Lane as the new name a right of way at 104 Taiwāwe Lane, Hot Water Beach. The name was submitted following consultation with Ngāti Hei and affected landowners. Ngā means many and tūturu signifies something permanent, true and original.
Whitianga Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station: A slight delay could arise after unsuitable ground conditions were discovered. However, appropriate fill has been found, and construction on the project continues.
Matarangi Wastewater Treatment Plans Upgrade: Our Council is on track for the project’s consent hearing which has been re-scheduled to mid-December 2025. Design work is on hold while conditions of Waikato Regional Council’s discharge consent are finalised.
Omaro Reserve: Upgrades to the Matarangi reserve are on track to open next month.
Whitianga Timber Tank Reservoir Roof Replacement: Complexity of the internal scaffold structure of the timber roof has delayed the project, which is now expected to be complete later this month. The reservoir will be operational for the Christmas peak period. Once completed, we will then have a total of 6000 cubic metres of treated water at the water treatment plant, allowing for more than two days of water storage capacity.
The Board received an update on the Whitianga Water Strategy, revealing that since volumetric billing was introduced, there has been a 13% reduction in water use and a 11% reduction in use during peak demand.
The Board also received an update on plans to introduce grass carp to Cooks Beach lakes on a trial basis. The process means it could be the end of January before any carp are introduced to the lakes, meaning the lakes will be managed manually over summer. Public notification of this process is expected over the next three weeks.
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- Agendas and minutes of meetings, as well as videos of meetings, are available on our website.
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One-hour closures of Refuse Transfer Stations
Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations (RTS) in Thames, Whangamatā and Tairua and Whitianga will be open for an hour less for one day each in mid-September due to weighbridge stations having to be calibrated.
Wednesday 17 September
- Thames RTS will open at 9.30am (instead of 8.30am)
- Whangamatā RTS will close at 3.30pm (instead of 4.30pm)
Thursday 18 September
- Tairua RTS will open at 9.30am (instead of 8.30am)
- Whitianga RTS will close at 3.30pm (instead of 4.30pm).
Thank you for your patience as we make sure our transfer stations are up well maintained.
Open Day at Mercury Bay's Wāhi Tukurua
Te Kooti Whenua Māori last info seminar
Our Council is working with Te Kooti Whenua Māori (Māori Land Court) to deliver a series of information seminars presented by Pae Manawa Maria Graham. These sessions are designed to help you better understand Māori Land Court processes, review application pathways and requirements, and learn how to complete your application correctly. This will be the final workshop and will guide you through Trust Applications & Trustee Duties.
When: Friday 26 September (9.30am – 12.30pm)
Where: Council Chambers, 515 Mackay Street, Thames.
State Highway speed consultation
A reminder to get your feedback on NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s speed limits review affecting:
• the townships of Kūaotunu and Wharekaho on SH25
• between Thames and Tararū on SH25
Sections of SH2 in Waihī and Karangahake towards Waikino are also being reviewed.
Consultation will run until 3 October 2025. Visit nzta.govt.nz/waikato-speed-limit-reviews
DOC fells invasive trees at Hāhei
Work is underway at the Hāhei Beach Short Walk to remove 16 invasive conifers as the track reinstatement project clicks up a gear.
The conifer removal is part of the Mautohe Cathedral Cove Sustainability Project reinstating walking access to the picturesque Coromandel beach. Funded by the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, this long-term initiative is focused on safeguarding the cultural and environmental values of this iconic site and enhancing the visitor experience.
Local arborists have been on site since Monday (1 September), removing the pinus pinaster trees, more commonly known as maritime pine or cluster pine.
Michael Sparrow, DOC’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove Sustainability Project Manager says the exotic trees can spread fast, threatening this stunning landscae and crowding out native vegetation.
The conifer removal follows a successful community planting day at nearby Waimata Gemstone Bay. The planting - led by Destination Hauraki Coromandel as part of its Good For Your Soul initiative - saw 300 native trees planted by members of Ngāti Hei, community members and staff from local public sector agencies.
Find out more here
Thames water main upgrades
The Ngāti Maru Highway (SH25) water main replacement is scheduled to begin on Monday 8 September.
Any required water shutdowns will be planned in advanced and affected residents and businesses will be notified.
Thank you for your patience while we carry out this work.
Find out more
Artbeat Spring Festival 
The Artbeat Spring Festival got off to a great start today, Friday 5 September, with ukelele legends The Nukes performing at lunchtime in Thames.
The Coromandel Artbeat Spring Festival is a line-up of creative events all over the Coromandel and runs for three months each year from September to December.
Find out more
Kiwi SA Expo 
Celebrate the shared heritage of New Zealand and South Africa at the KiwiSA Expo in Thames this Saturday, 6 September. Explore all five main heritage sites, enjoy South African and Kiwi food and music at the Saturday Morning Market, and catch the Springboks vs All Blacks Test Match live!
Find out more
Check out other events in our district
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