Coromandel summer peak population still over 100,000

Occupancy in campgrounds and other commercial accommodation in the Coromandel increased in the last two years, according to the draft Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) summer population survey.

Every few years, TCDC carries out a study to find out how many people are on the Peninsula over the peak Christmas and New Year period. This past summer, information was collected on the number of people staying in residential accommodation, campgrounds and other commercial accommodation types, as well as traffic volumes on the Peninsula.

Peak population studies have been carried out by TCDC since 1996 and although the peak population has varied, it has always been estimated at over 100,000 people and over four times the usually resident population of around 26,000.

The results of the peak population studies help to inform the Council's decisions on service provision, including water, sewerage, rubbish and recycling, and roads and reserves.

"The Coromandel Peninsula is a really popular place to holiday and visit," said TCDC's Strategic Policy Manager Katherine Palmer. "The significant population increase that we experience over the Christmas and New Year period in particular puts extra pressure on Council infrastructure and services, so it is important to collect information on how many people we need to provide for, both now and in the future."

The draft study found that Whangamata remained the most populated settlement, with a peak population of 24,300 people on New Years Eve this past summer. However, it was Whitianga that had the biggest spike in population, with people converging in the settlement for the New Years Eve Coromandel Gold festival. Two temporary campgrounds in Whitianga provided accommodation for the over 10,000 people who attended the concert. Other smaller settlements such as Matarangi, Whangapoua, Pauanui and Cooks Beach, where there are a lot of holiday and part-time homes, had population increases of up to 25 times their usually resident population.

"The night of New Year's Eve has traditionally been the time when the population reaches a peak and that was the case this summer as well", Katherine Palmer said.

"We estimate that the peak population for the District reached 120,900 people. Although that is lower that the last study two years ago, there was still an increase in campground occupancy and guest nights in other commercial accommodation types this year. Also, the amount of traffic on the Peninsula was very similar to the last study, which indicates that there may have been more day visitors this time."

"Thank you to everyone who participated in the summer survey," she said. "We appreciate all those who co-operated and provided input."

The draft study is subject to council approval. Final study results will be available in July, with a summary of results made available at Council offices and information centres across the District.