Facing up to Coromandel's rapid growth

Twenty-five thousand Coromandel homeowners are to be polled on which parts of the peninsula should be protected from development.

Next month the council will send ratepayers a survey asking what parts of the landscape - from the coastal vistas to bush-clad mountain ranges - should be protected.

The survey - which follows another year of strong residential growth on the Coromandel - will end up being written into the district plan governing where development can take place and in what form.

Thames Coromandel District Council planner Leigh Robcke said the trend in recent years had been to try to restrict development to the main settlements of Whangamata, Pauanui, Tairua, Whitianga, Matarangi, Coromandel and Thames - and to a lesser extent to secondary settlements such as Whangapoua, Hahei, Cooks Beach and Kuaotunu.

Last year the council approved about 530 new homes, the majority of which were in primary settlements where services such as waste and stormwater were already available.

This is so services can be provided and coastline, open space and natural environments retained as much as possible, Mr Robcke said.

Despite this attempt to retain the natural environment, concerns are already being raised about intensification, loss of character and negative effects on the environment.

A Pauanui survey found residents thought high-density housing would ruin the abundance of trees, the beach and peacefulness of the town.

In Whitianga there are concerns about the beachfront, where apartments are being built.

While the council tries to address concerns in the main settlements, it is aware it is only a matter of time before development spreads further.

Spokesman Peter Hazael said the upcoming survey, estimated to cost about $60,000, would hopefully protect some of these untouched areas before it was too late.

"People come to the Coromandel for specific reasons and I think the landscape is important to them.

"What we want to do is make sure that we preserve some of these iconic places for future generations."

Mr Hazael said people would have differing views on what should be protected but he expected some of the key areas to include bushland in the ranges, beach reserves, sand dunes and headlands.

Focus groups are being organised now to ensure the survey and questions are simple to understand.

The survey forms and an accompanying brochure will then be sent out to the 25,000 property owners, just over half of whom live outside of the region.

Once the results are in, there will be a period of consultation and possibly workshops to discuss the issues further.

The areas will then be added into the plan where they will either be protected from development or have strict conditions attached to them.