COROMANDEL PENINSULA Peak Population Study 2007/08 Policy and Planning Group 2008 Thames-Coromandel District Council 515 Mackay Street, Private Bag, Thames T: 07 868 0200 F: 07 868 0234 E: [email protected] W: www.tcdc.govt.nz 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 2 INTRODUCTION 3 3 AIMS 3 4 METHODOLOGY, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4 4.1 THE PEAK PERIOD 4 4.2 RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION SURVEY 5 4.3 THE HOLIDAY MAKERS 7 4.4 COMMERCIAL ACCOMMODATION SURVEY 8 4.5 VEHICLE MOVEMENTS 10 4.6 AERIAL OBSERVATION 13 4.7 WASTEWATER, WATER AND SOLID WASTE DATA 13 4.8 OBSERVATION AND ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE 15 4.9 WEATHER INFORMATION 15 5 RESULTS 16 5.1 THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA 16 5.2 THE SETTLEMENTS 17 6 LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE 21 7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES 21 8 CONCLUSION 22 9 APPENDIX 1: TABLE OF FINAL POPULATION FIGURES 23 10 APPENDIX 2: TRAFFIC COUNT RESULTS 24 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Anecdotal evidence was also collected from people who were surveyed and from key organisations around the District. A flight This report summarises the findings of the Thames-Coromandel over the Peninsula on New Years Day was undertaken to help 2007/08 Peak Population Study. The study was undertaken to assess the level of ‘informal’ camping, the number of moored boats determine the population of the Coromandel Peninsula over the peak and the activity in towns. holiday period – from the 22nd of December 2007 until the 6th of January 2008. The methodology used also provided information on The population of the Thames-Coromandel District peaked on New st the peak population of each of the main settlements and popular Years Eve – the 31 of December 2007 – with an estimated 137,700 summer holiday destinations on the Peninsula. people. There was a gradual increase in the population from the st beginning of the study period to the peak day – the 31 of December The main approaches used to determine the peak population were: 2007 – which was followed by a gradual decline in the population out to the 6th of January 2008 when the study period ended. • A count of dwellings in the settlements of the Peninsula using the 2006 Census information and building consent approvals for new dwellings since March 2006. Peak Population of the Coromandel Peninsula 26 December 2007 - 6 January 2008 • A door to door survey of dwellings in the main settlements to 140,000 determine the average number of people per house for each of 120,000 100,000 the settlements. 80,000 Number of Peak Population • Information on campground and commercial accommodation People 60,000 capacity and occupancy. 40,000 Usual Population 20,000 • Information gained from a set of traffic counters strategically 0 placed around the District. 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Date • Extrapolation using Council wastewater, water and solid waste data in each of the settlements (where available). On the peak day, the population of the District was over five times the usual population. 2 2 INTRODUCTION Every attempt has been made to make the findings as accurate as possible by using and cross-referencing many sources of The Thames-Coromandel District is regarded as one of New information. Zealand’s most attractive areas to live and visit. Encompassing almost the entire Coromandel Peninsula, the District features stunning coastline, dramatic landscapes, abundant bush and wildlife. 3 AIMS The District is also home to diverse settlements and communities, with a mixture of permanent and part-time residents, and it is within The aims for this project were as follows: close proximity to three major cities – Auckland, Hamilton and • Determine the time-frame within which the population of the Tauranga. Coromandel Peninsula is at its peak. • Determine the population of the Thames-Coromandel District and Over the Christmas and New Year holiday period, the District its settlements over the peak holiday period. experiences a large influx of visitors from both New Zealand and • Provide information to assist in planning for future infrastructure overseas, causing the population to increase to many times that of and development in the settlements around the Peninsula. 1 the usually resident population. This is known as the ‘peak’ • Determine where visitors to the Coromandel Peninsula over the population. peak period originate from. • Assess the effectiveness of the information used to determine the It is important that information is available on the peak population of peak population and make recommendations for future studies. both the Thames-Coromandel District and the individual settlements. Such information can be used for making informed decisions regarding future planning, services and infrastructure. 1 The place of ‘usual residence’ is the place where a person considers himself or herself to usually live. 3 nd th 4 METHODOLOGY, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION the 22 of December 2007 until the 6 of January 2008. Hence, the study commenced at 00:00 on Saturday 22 December 2007 and The methods employed for this study were based on refined concluded at 23:59 on Sunday 6 January 2008. methods used in the 2003/04 peak population study and 2005/06 update and similar studies carried out in 1995/96, 1996/97 and The actual peak holiday period for the 2007/08 Christmas and New 1997/98. Year was determined using traffic count data, wastewater, water and solid waste data and anecdotal evidence. Some of these data The 2007/08 peak population study found, as did the previous sources are graphed below to indicate the duration and highs and studies, that there is no single way to measure the peak population lows of the peak period. of the Coromandel Peninsula or the individual settlements. However, by using a number of sources of information and Traffic on the Coromandel Peninsula constantly cross-checking between them, figures have been Dec 2007 - Jan 2008 60,000 obtained that are thought to be within an accuracy of +/- 5%. 50,000 The sources of information used to help assess peak populations on 40,000 Num be r of 30,000 the Peninsula included a residential accommodation survey, a Vehicles commercial accommodation survey, traffic counts, water, wastewater 20,000 and solid waste data, an aerial observation, anecdotal evidence and 10,000 weather information. - t nd 1s 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 21st 22 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st Date 4.1 The Peak Period Traffic flows into and out of the Coromandel Peninsula clearly From the previous peak population studies and Council staff demonstrate that the peak day was the 31st of December 2007. By experience, the likely peak holiday period was predicted to be from the end of the study period vehicle numbers were still high which 4 shows that although there had been a significant decrease in th Whangamata and Whitianga Wastewater Disposal holidaymakers by the 6 of January 2008 there were still a large 17 Dec 07 - 12 Jan 08 number of non-residents staying on the Peninsula. 4500 Whangamata 4000 Whitianga 3500 3000 Whangamata and Pauanui Water Consumption Wastewater 2500 17 Dec 07 - 13 Jan 08 Usage (kL) 2000 1500 8000 Whangamata 1000 7000 500 Pauanui 6000 0 5000 Water h h 4000 7th 9th 1st 5th 7th 9th 1st 2nd 4th 6th 8th 0t 2t Consumption (kL) 1 1 2 23rd 2 2 2 3 1 1 3000 2000 Date 1000 0 h h d h h h From these graphs it can be concluded that beginning the study 3r 2nd 4th 6th 8th 0th 2th 17t 19t 21st 2 25t 27t 29t 31st 1 1 nd Date period on the 22 of December 2007 was reasonable. Furthermore, ending the study on the 6th of January 2008 was also sensible as, Graphing water consumption in Whangamata and Pauanui and although the population was by no means back to usual resident wastewater disposal in Whangamata and Whitianga enables levels, it had reduced significantly by this date. conclusions to be drawn as to the timing and extent of the peak period to some degree. An increase in usage appears to begin around the 21st to 23rd of December and the higher usage tails out 4.2 Residential Accommodation Survey around the 8th to 10th of January although usage is not yet back to off-peak amounts. A residential accommodation survey was carried out in the main settlements and major holiday destinations in the District including Cooks Beach, Coromandel, Hahei, Matarangi, Pauanui, Tairua, Thames, Thames Coast, Whangamata, Whangapoua and Whitianga. The survey was used to indicate the average number of 5 people per residential property and was completed over a 12 day Settlement Average number of Average number of th th people per house people per house – period from the 26 of December 2007 until the 6 of January 2008. 31st December 2007 off peak Cooks Beach 8.56 0.36 The total number of dwellings, both occupied and unoccupied, in Coromandel 4.15 1.66 Hahei 6.34 0.77 each settlement at the end of December 2007 was determined using Matarangi 7.13 0.27 2006 Census data and building consent dwelling approvals since Pauanui 5.20 0.33 Tairua 5.74 0.88 March 2006 (when the last census was undertaken). Thames 3.40 2.20 Thames Coast 4.00 1.50 Whangamata 6.03 0.85 Over the 12 days, 2,518 residential properties (11% of the District Whangapoua 6.65 0.38 total) were surveyed on the Coromandel Peninsula. This survey was Whitianga 5.76 1.14 undertaken to determine the number of people who stayed on the The photo below shows many cars parked outside some houses in property the night before last, the previous night, the number expected to be staying on the property that night, and the number Matarangi, corroborating the high average people-per-house figure calculated for Matarangi.