A new Community Board Accord aimed at strengthening the relationship between the Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) and its community boards was formally adopted yesterday (May 26).
Backed by Community Board chairs, the Accord outlines how Council and the boards will work together while reinforcing the boards’ role as the voice of local communities. It also aims to improve transparency around local decision-making and the delivery of council services.
Mayor Peter Revell said in a release that rebuilding trust between Council and communities had been a key priority since the last local body elections.
“Our communities are increasingly engaged in what’s going on around them; we can see that in the turnout to provide feedback for our Annual Plan proposals and in the busy public forums at Community Board meetings,” Revell said.
“During the election campaign, constituents told candidates that communities did not feel heard. Restoring that confidence has been a priority for this Council from the outset.”
The Accord delegates authority to community boards in a number of areas, including community grants, facilities and property, parks and open spaces, economic development, and transport planning.
However, the agreement proved controversial during this week’s council meeting, with Mayor Revell invoking meeting rules to close debate, preventing some councillors from speaking further on the matter.
Among them was Thames-Coromandel District Councillor John Freer, who has now publicly outlined why he supported the Accord.
“I feel strongly about this, and I owe it to the people who elected me to explain why I voted the way I did,” Cr Freer said.
Freer said opposition to the Accord intensified in the lead-up to the vote, including criticism from a former TCDC Deputy Mayor.
“In the lead-up to the vote there was a strong campaign against the Accord, including from former Deputy Mayor Terry Walker, who was on Council for the entire period the 2019 Terms of Reference were in place,” Freer said.
“During those six years, frustration from Community Boards across the district grew, rather than eased. That is the record, and it weighed heavily on my thinking.
“Therefore, I was not prepared to go backward to go forward with this.”
Cr Freer said two factors ultimately determined his support for the new Accord over the previous Terms of Reference.
“First, of the five Community Board chairs, four supported the Accord and one abstained. These are the people elected to lead our boards,” . When that many of them, after months of engagement, say a document is good enough to proceed with, councillors should take that seriously.”
“Second, the 2019 Terms of Reference simply have not delivered what our communities need. That is not opinion — it is the lived experience of six years.”
Freer said both the Tairua-Pauanui and Whangamatā Community Boards had consistently advocated strongly for their communities but often felt ignored.
“Our boards have been vocal — and rightly so — on issues like the state of local council buildings, mowing of reserves, annual planning and flood protection.”
“These are the things that matter to people on the ground, and our boards have too often felt they were not being heard.”
He said the new Accord directly addressed those concerns.
“It commits Council to early consultation with boards on decisions affecting their areas, reliable staff support, regular Mayor and Chairs meetings, clear timeframes when differences arise, and a dispute resolution path,” Freer said.
“The Terms of Reference document addressed none of this and was never designed to.”
Freer acknowledged he had received emails and phone calls from residents urging him to retain the existing Terms of Reference.
“Those views came from people who care about our communities, and I respect that,” he said.
“After weighing them carefully, I reached a different conclusion, and I wanted residents to hear my reasoning directly.”
Cr Freer was also among those involved in establishing an alliance between Coromandel Peninsula residents, community groups and ratepayer associations in 2024 amid concerns that community boards were not being adequately supported by the previous council.
“Back then I recall sitting in the Thames-Coromandel council chambers with representatives of residents and ratepayers’ groups from around our district, meeting with councillors when the terms of reference were discussed as a mechanism to improve relations,” he said.
“But still, until the last elections, the lack of engagement between Council and Boards continued.”
Freer said the Accord included a mandatory review after six months to assess how effectively it was working.
“A full review is locked in at six months. That gives us the chance to test how it is working, hear from boards and communities, and adjust where needed. This is not a document set in stone — it’s a living document that will evolve over time to meet the needs of our communities.”
“You don’t drive down the road by looking in the rear-view mirror. We have a chance now to build something that works for our communities — and that is why I support this change.”
