The Coromandel is in the frame for a many number of people in New Zealand who are thinking about moving.

Research presented at a Business After 5 forum in Thames this week showed one-quarter of Kiwis thinking of relocating would consider shifting to the Thames-Coromandel District.

Thames is seen as an attractive option for Kiwis who are thinking about moving towns. Photo: TCDC

The ‘Best Places to Live' survey was carried out by Horizon Research, commissioned by Harcourts real estate agency, and the results were presented by principal researcher Graeme Colman.

The report states nearly 3,500 people were asked whether they would consider moving, and if so, what kind of place would attract them and what facilities and amenities would they like.

Thames ticked a lot of the boxes for people.

'Access to health care, employment, affordable housing and good climate are the top considerations for anyone thinking of moving,” says Graeme. 'Health care's extremely important and remember, they're not all retired.

'The cost of housing is also very important to those who would consider moving to Thames. Tourism, local amenities and shopping are also important.”

Nearly one-third of respondents said they would most like to live in a 'provincial town by the sea that is less than two hours' drive from a large city” – in other words, a place like Thames.

Of the 25 per cent of people who would consider moving to the Coromandel, 12 per cent are retired. More than a quarter are in the 44-54 age group and 18 per cent are service workers.

Of those who said they would consider moving to the Coromandel, 90 per cent already live in the North Island and most of them are in Auckland.

Sixty percent of their sales since October were to people from outside Thames, more than one-third of them were Aucklanders.

Graeme's research also looked at what might prompt businesses to relocate to the Coromandel.

Bottom-line issues of lower operating costs, availability of labour, buildings and land and proximity to markets and transportation are the prime considerations.

Graeme adds: 'Business operators who would consider a move to Thames want premises that are available to buy, not lease.”

Also at the forum was Thames-Coromandel District Council's Economic Development programme manager Ben Dunbar-Smith who says one of the drivers of economic growth is innovation.

'Trains and electric power drove economic growth in the past, now the latest technological revolution is broadband.”

Councils do not provide broadband, but the Thames-Coromandel council has been working with the Government, Chorus and Vodafone to upgrade the broadband coverage around the peninsula.

It is also is preparing a bid for the latest round of Government spending on rural broadband upgrades.

Council is also working with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development to attract people and businesses to the Coromandel.

'With Auckland's population pressure, the Coromandel is looking increasingly attractive," adds Ben. 'We have to provide jobs for those who want to move here.”

A recent Thames-Coromandel initiative was the creation of Business Broker roles to help big businesses and development projects with council's regulatory process.