Tairua transport club 33 years and going strong

Marnie Goodman in front of Ernie (all the vehicles get a name).

Tairua Care and Friendship Club (TCFC) purchased its first vehicle in 1990 and has been transporting community members to and from hospitals, medical centres and other critical services ever since. The club now owns two Mazda SUVs and a 12-seater van with a hoist and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

TCFC’s van coordinator, Marnie Goodman, says the club provides a lifeline for many who could not make it to important appointments any other way: “Tairua is isolated. There’s no bus service and probably never will be. But anyone can come with us. There’s no age limit.” Thames is the closest hospital to Tairua and can be a lengthy trip: 49 kilometres when SH 25A is open but currently 120 kilometres via Whangamatā, Waihi and Paeroa while the highway is being repaired.

Many of Tairua’s 1500 residents don’t have private transport options either, so TCFC runs a complete door-to-door service. People ring up and explain where they need to go and one of the drivers picks them up, takes them to the appointment, waits with them and drops them back home afterwards. The value TCFC provides is clear to see. In the last nine months, the club’s 179 drivers spent 1099 hours transporting 503 passengers over 42,000 kilometres.

TCFC drivers in front of their newly blessed vehicle.

The service does come at cost. Coromandel’s roads are full of twists, bends and corners that wear down the tyres especially, and it’s not unusual for stray stones or gravel to crack a windscreen. Of course fuel racks up too; the nine-month bill came in at $8280. And while passengers donate what they can, the cost of a single trip is often too much to ever ask for. When petrol prices hit $3 a litre, a round trip from Tairua to Thames cost around $70. The club covers the difference by fundraising and applying for grants, including from Lotto, Community Waikato, the Tairua Trebadours and $12,966 from Waikato Regional Council’s Community Transport Fund 2022/23.

Waikato Regional Council’s community transport lead Amantha Bowen says working with the likes of Tairua Friendship and Care Club is a favourite part of her job and a valuable component of the council’s transport strategy: “Connecting smaller or remote communities to critical services is quite challenging so we need to be smart and creative with our resources. Supporting community initiatives like this gives options to people outside of the major public transport routes and we get to share in the amazing work they do.”

Marnie says community connections motivate the club to keep working: “We’re local. Everyone knows everyone and you never know when you might need some help.” But the club is more than transport, hosting lunch at Tairua Community Hall every Tuesday where $10 gets you a two-course meal, card games, raffle tickets, a chance to catch up with friends, and a ride of course.

Drivers Bryan and Peter (Peter is a foundation member who still attends Tuesday lunch).

She says finding drivers is an ongoing challenge, which is true of volunteer recruitment worldwide, especially bringing in young people willing to give up their time. The volunteers drive for eight hours in a day and spend an extra hour before and after setting up and packing down the vans. The club typically needs at least fourteen drivers to cover the six weekly roster and four for the Tuesday lunches. But the volunteers are essential for keeping the costs down and the club would love to hear from anyone interested in helping out.

The Waikato Regional Council Community Transport Fund opens for applications every November and funding decisions are released in December.