Powhiri provides inspirational start to new term for Thames-Coromandel District Council

Hauraki Iwi welcome new team to Council Chambers

The newly elected Thames-Coromandel District Council began its three-year term with an inspirational powhiri attended by many Hauraki Iwi leaders.

It took place with the Council Chambers full of family and friends as well as the newly elected representatives and staff.

Mayor Glenn Leach said it was an emotive moment and highly appropriate given the rapid developments taking place with the Hauraki Treaty Settlement process which will potentially see TCDC and Iwi working together as co-managers of parts of the Coromandel Peninsula post settlement.

It was also important that TCDC developed a fuller working relationship with Iwi as it works to review its District Plan over the next few years.

Peter French new Deputy Mayor for TCDC

Council appoints new committees

New Thames councillor Peter French has been elected as Deputy Mayor of the Thames-Coromandel District Council.
The following committees were also named at the inaugural meeting of the new Council on Wednesday:
Audit Committee: Tony Fox (Chair), Tony Brljevich and Jan Bartley. External representative yet to be appointed.
Chief Executive Liaison Committee: Glenn Leach (Chair), Peter French and Murray McLean .
Judicial Committee: Wyn Hoadley (Chair), Murray McLean, Tony Brljevich, and Tony Fox. (Reserve members: Diane Connors, Jan Bartley and Peter French).
Service Delivery: Murray McLean (Chair), Tony Brljevich, Tony Fox and Jack Wells.
Policy and Planning: Peter French (Chair), Wyn Hoadley, Jan Bartley and Diane Connors.
Blueprint Political Steering Group: Glenn Leach and Peter French.
The local councillors in each ward were also appointed to their respective community boards:
Mercury Bay : Tony Fox and Murray McLean .
Whangamata and Tairua-Pauanui: Jan Bartley and Jack Wells.
Coromandel: Tony Brljevich.
Thames : Peter French, Diane Connors and Wyn Hoadley.

Mercury Bay shuttle bus service gets extra
Council funding

New planter boxes for Albert St also get the nod.

Changes in the way shuttle bus services are to be provided between Hahei and Cathedral Cove and Ferry Landing, Hahei and Hot Water Beach have resulted in a request by the Mercury Bay Community Board for $24,000 more funding from the Thames-Coromandel District Council.
Councillors were told that the loss of voluntary parking warden assistance for the coming season had pushed costs up and as Council had agreed to fund a three year trial it needed the extra funding to meet this commitment.
Mayor Glenn Leach said that while Council would honour its commitment this year a clear signal needed to be sent to the Mercury Bay Community Board that the shuttle service may not be subsidised in future years.
Council also agreed to provide $40,000 for new planter boxes for Whitianga's main street in recognition of the fact that the proposed town centre upgrade is not scheduled to proceed until 2015/16.

Boat trailer parking scheme to be further
considered prior to Christmas

Staff report called for

Thames-Coromandel District Councillors are keen to see changes in the boat trailer parking bylaw conditions and have called for action prior to Christmas.

Staff have been asked to prepare a paper to be presented at the 8 December Council meeting.

New Council briefed on aquaculture reforms by Environment Waikato staff

Exciting future seen in finfish farming and other forms of aquaculture currently not allowed

New Thames-Coromandel District Councillors have been told in a special briefing at their inaugural Council meeting that aquaculture developments currently being proposed for the Hauraki Gulf offer the potential to dramatically increase jobs and regional GDP.

Environment Waikato chief executive officer Bob Laing and key staff related to aquaculture development and management outlined a rosy future for the industry once new rules were in place and TCDC needed to be considering now what it needs to do to facilitate this growth.

TCDC chief executive Steve Ruru said a report had been prepared about future infrastructure options related to wharfage and land-based activities and this would be considered by the new Council in the near future.

Current Community Board delegations confirmed while new powers are considered

Mayor wants robust process to define new role for community Boards

Thames-Coromandel District Council is committed to expanding the role of the five community boards on the Coromandel Peninsula but wants to make haste slowly in order to get the process right.

The Council has adopted the current delegations in the meantime to ensure the new boards have at least the same powers as the previous ones but the Council has given clear signals to staff that it wants to see the community boards given extra powers.

Mayor Glenn Leach said he did not want to see the process rushed, however, and it would be impossible to get the budgets required to resource the increased delegations into the 2010-2011 Annual Plan.

Over the coming months it is planned to work closely with the community boards to identify what delegations they believe are necessary for them to better fulfil their role, with the revised delegations to be adopted and funding incorporated into the 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan.

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