The handover of Whitianga's information centre to Destination Coromandel has been brought forward a year.

The Mercury Bay Business Association was to relinquish control in July next year but asked Thames-Coromandel District Council to make the change from July 1 this year so it could concentrate on servicing its members.

Up until now the information centre has been run and two-thirds funded by the association with money earned from the centre's operations.

Thames Coromandel District Council provides the rest of the money and in 2014-2015 was set to give the i-Site $89,700.

But a report to the council's economic development committee on Tuesday said Destination Coromandel would need more money to cover transition costs and repair the i-Site building. The council will give Destination Coromandel $120,000 in 2014-2015, $100,000 in 2015-2016 and $90,000 in 2016-2017.

Destination Coromandel is working on a new business model for the centre, to take account of changes in visitor bookings and other services, but all existing staff will be retained.

Thames i-Site will be run by Destination Coromandel from next year and other information centres will be community run and funded.