Happiness isâ€Âliving on the Coromandel

Survey finds quality of life highest among women, retired people and homeowners

Life is good on the Coromandel according to survey results showing 87 percent of respondents in Thames-Coromandel are happy with their lot.

Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC) undertook the telephone survey alongside other councils in the Waikato region in July last year. The views of 900 randomly-selected respondents throughout the wider region were recorded across numerous in-depth topics including quality of life, support and safety within communities, proximity to facilities, access to healthcare, council performance and how they viewed the place in which they lived.

Of the 900 respondents, 140 were from Thames-Coromandel. Their responses will help the council measure progress in terms of its community outcomes – statements of what communities around the district want to achieve now and in the future.

On the question of ‘how happy are you with your quality of life?’ the vast majority of respondents (87%) gave a high score with a quarter (26%) rating their overall happiness in life at 10 out of 10. Only 2 percent were actually unhappy with their quality of life.

However a number of variables impacted on people’s happiness in life. The greatest were:

Women are happier than men
The older we get, the happier we become (those aged over 65 are more likely to rate their quality of life with a higher score)
Those with a household income of less than $30,000 are less happy with their quality of life than those on higher incomes
Those who own their own home are happier than those who rent or board
Those of Maori descent were less happy with their quality of life than other New Zealanders

Money does not buy happiness, but it helps. Those who aren’t happy with their quality of life are more likely to say there was a time in the last 12 months when they or a member of their household wanted to go to a GP but didn’t, with 9.1% citing cost as the main reason.

The majority (96%) felt safe during the daytime and only one percent felt unsafe. Four out of five people (85%) felt safe in their community after dark and 8% felt unsafe.


When asked ‘what do you think makes your district unique or special?’ the respondents mostly pointed to the geographical location of bush and sea along with natural beauty, followed by community and atmosphere.

Three-quarters of respondents said they had a sense of pride over how their district looks and feels and a third (33%) felt it was the district’s natural beauty and landscape that made it so special. Comments included: “Its location – it’s just spectacular, stunning and peaceful,” and “One of the most beautiful places in the world.”

Monitoring the council’s Community Outcomes is a requirement of the Local Government Act, but the survey findings will also be useful for the council’s Blueprint Project which looks at managing development and shaping the district over the next 50 years.

“We made a decision to do a co-ordinated survey covering the wider Waikato region because it allows for meaningful comparisons throughout the region,” said TCDC Strategic Policy Manager Katherine Palmer. “It also allowed us to share the costs between councils.”

She added: “Council has signalled that it wishes to plan for the future to ensure the Peninsula develops in a way that embraces its spirit and natural beauty. This survey work helps us determine if the Peninsula is in fact developing in such a way.”

A full copy of the survey results, which includes comparisons to other districts in the Waikato and individual comments from respondents, is available online at www.tcdc.govt.nz or by contacting the council.