There are no council funded visitor information services on the Plains, while Waihi has an i-SITE and Paeroa has an Information Centre.
Our preference is to provide information services in all three wards. Information services provide a single location for visitor information and this supports our principle of connected people/tūhono – looking after each other and being proud to say we live here. They also support our principle of having a strong economy/oranga ōhanga and helping local businesses by providing information to visitors and making them feel welcome.
One of the issues here is that we’ve reviewed our visitor information services and we’d prefer to provide equal services in Paeroa and Waihi and ensure information is available to visitors arriving in the Hauraki Plains as well – but we want to know what you think.
Should we…
We would continue to fund an i-SITE in Waihi and an Information Centre in Paeroa. Businesses on the Hauraki Plains could continue to display flyers, but they still wouldn’t receive any funding. All ratepayers would continue to contribute to these services through a rate based on the capital value of their property. Waihi and Paeroa ward ratepayers would also continue to pay an extra annual charge on their rates bill, and Waihi and Paeroa ward businesses would continue to contribute through business rates. Operators have indicated they may need more funding in future to provide the same level of service so these rates may increase.
Annual investment | Impact on level of service | Impact on rates | Impact on debt |
Waihi: $85,000 Paeroa: $59,300 Hauraki Plains:$0 | There would be no change to the current level of service, however the operators have indicated they may need additional funding to continue the same level of service. | $0 | $0 |
This would mean replacing Waihi’s i-SITE with an information centre, keeping Paeroa’s information centre the same and setting up a new information centre in the Plains ward. It would mean an increase in the overall funding we provide for information services. We would also change the way we fund it, and it would be paid for by all district ratepayers – 50% from capital value rates (commercial and industrial properties would pay a bit more) and 50% funded from our Uniform Annual General Charge, which is the same for everyone regardless of property value. Because of the change in funding, it would mean a decrease in some rates, event though we’re spending more on information services.
Annual investment | Impact on level of service | Impact on rates | Impact on debt |
Waihi: $65,000 Paeroa: $65,000 Plains: $15,600 | This would mean a reduced level of service for Waihi, likely removing i-SITE capabilities. Paeroa would remain at a similar level of service, and the service level for the Plains will increase. The level of funding would likely mean that information centres would need co-location with another business. | Uniform Annual General Charge -$0.83 decrease (-0.1%) Commercial decrease -$13.70 (-0.7%) | $0 |
Kiosks, or a similar innovative solution, could replace visitor information services in Paeroa and Waihi, and provide a new service in the Plains ward. Local businesses would apply to host the kiosks, for which they could receive funding. Overall, it would mean a decrease in the funding we provide for information services.
Investment | Impact on level of service | Impact on rates | Impact on debt |
Annual investment $40,000 (over the district) One-off investment $25,000 – set-up costs in 2021/22 | All wards would receive the same level of service, which would be a lower level of service than the current model for Waihi and Paeroa, but higher in the Plains. | Uniform Annual General Charge -$6.10 decrease (-1.0%) Commercial decrease -$100 (-4.7%) | $0 |
This would see information services managed across the district, potentially in collaboration with other areas, such as Coromandel. An example of how this might work could be information centres in key locations such as Waihi and Whitianga, with kiosks in other locations. This option needs more fleshing out with input from Destination Coromandel and Thames-Coromandel District Council, so for the first year we would keep the status quo.
Investment | Impact on level of service | Impact on rates | Impact on debt |
2021/22 Waihi:$85,000 Paeroa: $59,300 Hauraki Plains: $0 From 2022/23: determined by investigation. | The level of service would remain the same for 2021/22, with service levels reviewed during the investigation and communicated before the visitor network was created in 2022/23. | 2021/22 $0 2022/23 unknown | $0 |
We don’t legally have to fund visitor information services, so we could stop funding them altogether. This would mean there would be no visitor information services in the district at all, unless they were provided by a private business.
Investment | Impact on level of service | Impact on rates | Impact on debt |
$0 | This potentially would mean that no visitor information services are provided in the Hauraki District, unless a private business chose to operate an information centre. | Uniform Annual General Charge -$8.40 decrease (-1.4%) Commercial differential decrease -$138 (-6.6%) | $0 |
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The opportunity to provide written feedback has now closed. If you missed the boat, you can contact us to speak at a Council hearing event on 18/19 May 2021. After that the Council will make some decisions as a result of your feedback.
Check back here for a summary of the decisions and changes the Council made as a result of your feedback.
Entries are now closed for our scavenger hunt and colouring competition. Winners will be contacted by Wednesday, 14 May 2021.