This week the Thames-Coromandel District Council released its 2015-2025 Long Term Plan consultation document for public submissions.

The document contains a number of different issues that could affect locals, so to give you some idea of what's included in the LTP here are a few:

This week the Thames-Coromandel District Council released its 2015-2025 Long Term Plan consultation document. Below are a number of issues and proposals included in the document. Photo: File

THAMES AND KOPU

• Maintenance of long-established infrastructure, facilities and services.
• Partnering with others on new or replacement facilities such as the multisport indoor sports facility.
• Major upgrade of southern and rural water supply, wastewater and stormwater systems.
• Funding for local economic development initiatives in response to feedback from community and business groups.
• Thames Pool funding for renewal and feasibility of sub-regional aquatic centre.

WHANGAMATA

• Completing key footpath connections in town in a way that retains the beach character.
• Investigations into the feasibility of building a walkway and cycleway up Wentworth Valley road.
• Sealing Wentworth Valley Road.
• Community projects such as the redevelopment of Williamson Park, upgrading Aitken Road Tennis Courts, parking and disabled access to Island View Reserve, an investigation into a new Community Marae facility, and on-going commitment to development of harbour walking tracks.

TAIRUA-PAUANUI

• Maintenance of current local facilities and improving harbour facilities.
• On-going safety improvements for the Hikuai Settlement Road and safety and bridge-widening improvements at Duck Creek.
• Progress on Council's Water Demand strategy.
• Pauanui aquifer reconfiguration project removing the need for an upgrade.
• A catchment-wide programme to manage flooding and erosion at Holland Stream.

MERCURY BAY

• Whitianga Town upgrade.
• Constructing the next stage of the Mercury Bay Cemetery.
• Managing coastal erosion at Brophy's beach.
• Upgrading Hot Water Beach toilet facilities.

COROMANDEL-COLVILLE

• Coromandel Harbour facilities development for growth in aquaculture, tourism, recreational opportunities and improved commuter access to and from Auckland through a fast ferry service.
• Two of the major issues signalled for further investigation in this consultation document are the Coromandel Harbour Facilities project and the Coromandel Northern By-Pass (see pages 29-30 of the consultation document).

HOLIDAY HOME ACCOMMODATION

• A new fixed rate of $200+GST for short-stay accommodation providers - e.g. those using Bookabach or small B&Bs to contribute to economic development costs.
• Reclassifying large (four or more bedrooms for hire at any one time) Bed and Breakfast operations as "Industrial and Commercial" so that they pay the commercial economic development rate and pan charges, in the same way as moteliers.

RETIREMENT VILLAGES

• Introducing a rates remissions for retirement village residents who own a "License to occupy" their homes. This will put them in the same position as other low-income home owners who are able to access the central government rates rebate scheme.

OTHER ISSUES

• Move $46.6M of the debt on the Eastern Seaboard Wastewater plants to be paid through rates rather than future development.
• Change stormwater from a local rate to a district rate. Thames ratepayers will be better off because of this proposal and all ratepayers in other areas will pay more.
• Change the information centres in Tairua, Pauanui, Whangamata and Coromandel to local rates - which means slightly higher rates in each of those areas.
• Introducing an automatic 50% rates remissions for small (50 sq metres or less) second dwellings (so for small granny flats) - but note; we already allow people who don't rent these out to apply for a 100% remission; this doesn't change.
• Planting World War 1 Memorial Forests around the Coromandel at a cost of around $450,000.

To read the LTP Consultation Document and for more information visit: www.tcdc.govt.nz/ltp

Physical copies of the Consultation Document can also be viewed at any of the Thames-Coromandel District Council's area office and local libraries.

Submissions run from now until Thursday, April 9