Our aim, often quoted, is to work for the social, spiritual and physical well-being of the lands, waters and communities of the Thames Coast. Our beliefs are expressed in an extract from an information document distributed at the Summer Fair in 1992. In support of our contention that mining was totally inappropriate on the Coromandel Peninsula, we wrote countless letters, submissions, press releases to raise awareness of how it conflicted with more appropriate development.
Our Incorporated Society arose from the struggle by local people to prevent mining on the Coromandel Peninsula from the late 1970`s on. Soon after the commencement of the Monowai hearing in 1987 the Tapu and Waiomu Action Groups combined as the Thames Coast Preservation and Protection Society Incorporated.
The Society runs a small plant nursery at Thorntons Bay. Plants from this are used for our re-vegetation work, reserves plantings and go to DoC and TCDC [new citizens]. Following the last weather-bomb the society provided plants for property owners whose gardens had been damaged by the floods. All work of potting, weeding etc is by volunteers.
TCPS`s push for a recycle shop at Thames is nearly there. The Seagull Centre Trust last month signed a lease agreement with the Thames Coromandel district Council and the site has been fenced. A building agreement has been signed and a resource consent applied for.