Read about our plans for everything in Hahei. We frequently get involved with the Thames Coromandel District Council and have put forth many of our plans to them.
Our Plans
The background of our plans
Hahei has evolved from a peaceful Maori settlement to a vibrant tourist destination. As more and more people discover the spectacular beauty of Hahei and Cathedral Cove, tourists from around the world will visit us. Also, more people are choosing to live in Hahei and surrounding areas. To deal with the tourist growth and needs of permanent residents, we must invest in the necessary infrastructure such as roads and vehicle parking, and environmental protection etc. Building municipal infrastructure takes a long time and to ensure the appropriate infrastructure is ready when needed, all councils in New Zealand must prepare the following documents.
Thames Coromandel District Council Planning
Community Plans
Community Plans should capture the shared vision of specific communities and outline the key issues and projects facing that community over the next ten years. The plans provide a clear focus for Community Boards and Committees to progress key issues within their areas.
They are also intended to help TCDC to understand what is important to the community and allow TCDC to make informed decisions on the prioritising and funding of services and activities through the review of the Long Term Plan.
Over the years, Hahei Ratepayers groups have produced several plans. Here are the most recent.
Hahei Community Plan 2005 – 2015 – Click here to download it Hahei Community Plan 2005 2015
Hahei Community Plan Update 2010 – Click here to download it Hahei Community Plan Updated 2010
Mercury Bay South Community Plan 2020 – 2030 – Click here to download it Community Plan 2020 Final Draft
(TCDC has led the development of this plan. It covers not just Hahei but also Hot Water Beach and Cooks Beach.)
The Long Term Plans (LTP)
These outline the overall direction and expected costs of Council activities over a ten-year period. The LTP is prepared every three years. In the intervening years, Council produces an Annual Plan, which serves as an update on the LTP for that year.
The District Plan
The District Plan promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources in the Thames-Coromandel District, primarily by managing the effects of land use on the environment. The plan responds to local government issues in terms of community needs and aspirations. If those needs and aspirations change, then plan changes may be needed.
Reserve Management Plans
Reserve Management Plans contain policies that apply to all reserves that are owned and/or administered by Thames-Coromandel District Council. This allows for a consistent approach to the management of reserves. The current Reserve Management Plan will be updated soon. Click here for more information.
- Tourism Growth – Cathedral Cove has been used by many tourist organisation to promote New Zealand globally. As a result visitors to Cathedral Cove, have grown at around 30% pa over the last few years. Hahei is the gateway to Cathedral Cove, increasing the need for vehicle parking and other tourist facilities. In addtion, many properties owners now rent there properties. In year ending June 30, 2018, we are expecting 320,000 walkers to Cathedral Cove. At the current growth rate, it is likely that 0.5m will visit in 2023. To accomodate this number of tourists, we will need approximately 600- 800 vehicle parking spaces.
The consequences of tourism growth has been large numbers of vehicles entering Hahei. TCDC kindly arranged for a Traffic Survey over the busy summer period 2017/18. The results are shown below.
- Hahei Population Growth – permanent resident population and overnight tourists are growing. This places additional load on water and sewage treatment systems.