The Thames Coromandel District Council's significant capital works programme will continue in the coming financial year, with $43 million earmarked for projects including upgrades to the district's water supplies, improvements to council roads that were previously unmaintained and upgrading or building new toilets in popular visitor areas.

The council adopted the annual plan for 2019/2020, which sets out the budgets and projects for the coming financial year. There is no significant variation from what was set out for the year in the 2018-2028 Long Term Plan.

Mayor Sandra Goudie says the council are very much staying the course this coming year, continuing their focus on core services.

'We're making a big investment into making sure we provide safe drinking water and well-maintained roads.

'We're also leveraging external sources of funding such as the government's Tourism Infrastructure Fund to make sure toilet and parking facilities in our visitor hotspots can cope with the growing numbers of tourists coming here.

"And, don't forget, we're continuing our journey of collaborating with our coastal communities to develop shoreline management plans.

"In the LTP we put aside $2.6 million over last year and the coming two years to work on these plans. In the coming months we'll be engaging with our communities, holding discussions about the various options available in different places. Expect to see more news about this soon,” says Mayor Sandra.

The $43 million capital expenditure programme for the year combined with some additional operating costs means the total rate increase has been set at 4.94 per cent, up a little from the rate increase projected in the LTP of 4.13 per cent.

The higher operating costs include an extra one percent of inflation that is now predicted due to the country's economic situation and an additional $300,000 for our district's roading maintenance contract, which was recently renewed. This year a 10 year, $18 million upgrade of Council roads will begin that were previously not maintained, with the most-populated and least resilient roads receiving attention first.

The council are now well into their $15 million upgrade of the district's water supplies to meet drinking water standards, with the new $2.8 million Whitianga plant already in operation and work about to begin on the new treatment plants in Pauanui and Tairua.

Public toilets in visitor hotspots such as Hahei, Onemana and Whangapoua are also being upgraded, with grants from the government's Tourism Infrastructure Fund helping meet the costs.