The Thames Coromandel District Council says to date no an official public complaint has been made about the Koputauaki fundraiser which took place over Easter.

The fundraising activity was undertaken by the Koputauaki Community Hall and saw members of the group stopping of traffic on a 100km section of road using stop/go signage and traffic cones.

Over Easter motorists were stopped by members of a group using stop/go signs as part of fundraising efforts for the Koputauaki Community Hall. Photo: Google Maps

Media reports state members of the centre set up traffic cones on Colville Rd, north of Coromandel, and asked motorists to donate a gold coin before being allowed to continue their journey.

In a statement released today the district Council says it was only made aware of the fundraiser following media inquiries.

'At that stage we were not provided with the full details,” says council, 'only that the collectors were in high-visibility vests with collection buckets - not that they had stop/go signs and road cones on the road.

'We would not have considered the collections permissible had we known stop/go signs and traffic cones were being used to obstruct or direct traffic on a road.

'There has been a breach of our Public Places Bylaw and an approved Traffic Management Plan would have been required to ensure road safety was met.”

Council says these types of roadside fundraising activities occur from time to time around the Coromandel and around the country.

It is aware of only one roadside fundraiser in the district that previously obtained a Traffic Management Plan, which was carried out by the Pauanui Kindergarten.

But council adds: 'We can only monitor/approve if we know that this sort of activity is going to occur.”

'We have spoken to the Koputauaki organiser and made them aware a permit will be required under the Public Places Bylaw for any future fundraisers they may wish to undertake in a public place.

Council says it will follow this request up in writing and the Koputauaki have responded that they are happy to apply for the appropriate permit/s in future.

The organiser have told council they plan a fundraiser every Easter which will involve food stalls and a market day in their community hall, plus collectors out with buckets.

The money raised by the group's fundraising efforts goes towards the ongoing maintenance and management of the Koputauaki Community Hall.