Mayor Len - Monthly column Wishing everyone around the Coromandel a safe and merry Christmas

Wishing everyone around the Coromandel a safe and merry Christmas As we head into our peak summer period many of our businesses rely on this time to get through the rest of the year – and we’re all about bringing it on. Come and visit, but be responsible and play safe. In terms of Council services, with about four times as many people on the Coromandel compared to winter, we really need to plan. We put on extra rubbish and recycling collections, we encourage water conservation and then spread the word about water restrictions through our Council website, email newsletters, our social media, VMS signboards at town entrances, “grapefruit” signboards at town entrances and advertising on local radio stations and community newspapers. We’re part of the Safer Coromandel group, a jointly funded initiative between our Council, MediaWorks, Civil Defence and NZ Police, providing key messages – Plan Before You Party, Driver Reviver, boating safety, road safety and more. Check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SaferCoromandel Also, because we’re an area with lots of bush, we’re really conscious of wildfires. Usually Fire and Emergency New Zealand calls a total fire ban over this time. Our rules about dog control and consuming alcohol in public places change in some areas over summer. Your dog may be just saying ‘hello’ to strangers on the beach, but not everyone sees it that way so we ask people to check our website for where and when they need to have their four-legged friend on a lead or where dogs are not allowed at certain times. And most of our towns and seaside reserves have summer alcohol bans. Check our website at www.tcdc.govt.nz/summerinfo for details on all these rule changes. A reminder about roading: Drive safely and take care on the narrow, winding roads. Road conditions can change at any time with local roadworks and weather. Visit our website and follow us on Facebook to stay in the loop on our local roads. facebook.com/ThamesCoromandelDistrictCouncil I’ll be around the Coromandel visiting events, meeting ratepayers and enjoying the summer. If you see me out and about come and say hi or email me len.salt@tcdc.govt.nz