Future-ready healthcare in Waihi Beach: Proposal for a new and improved medical centre
At Waihi Beach Medical Centre, our team cares for around 3,500 enrolled patients, supports the local marae and school, and provides essential after-hours care for residents, holidaymakers, and visitors. Our GPs choose to offer evening and weekend cover to ensure the community can access timely care without needing to travel out of town. Guided by the spirit of “we look after our own”, the Waihi Beach practice team is committed to keeping healthcare local, personal, and accessible.
However, the current facility is stretched well beyond its limits. To free up space inside the building, two temporary portable cabins are now in use. One hosts diabetes clinics, despite lacking running water, while the other is used as office space for the clinic manager. The building itself is too small to meet the growing needs of our community, limiting both patient access and staff efficiency.
The need is even greater during summer, when the population of Waihi Beach quadruples. At these times, the medical centre becomes a frontline service for urgent health concerns such as broken bones, cuts, and other emergencies, which is critical given the distance to the nearest hospital.
Owned and operated by Primary Health Care Limited (PHCL), a charitable not-for-profit organisation, Waihi Beach Medical Centre is dedicated to reinvesting in local health services and ensuring care remains community-focused, accessible, and responsive to need now and into the future. To support sustainable, future-ready healthcare for the people of Waihi Beach, we have submitted a proposal to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to establish new, larger premises that can better serve the community.
Our proposal
In May 2025, PHCL, on behalf of Waihi Beach Medical Centre, submitted a proposal to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to use a portion of reserve land at Marine Avenue (Beach Road Recreation Reserve). The proposal sets out plans for a new, purpose-built health facility developed in partnership with Council, ensuring healthcare for our community remains local, accessible, and future-focused.
In preparing our submission, we followed the Council’s guidelines and sought early support from key community partners, receiving letters of endorsement from the Waihi Beach Community Board, Hato Hone St John Ambulance, and Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services.
This submission was the first step in the formal process and has now enabled the project to move forward to the stage where the wider community can be actively involved. The next step is a full public consultation, where over the coming months you will be invited to share your views, ask questions, and help shape the future of local healthcare. We are committed to providing clear, detailed information throughout this process and look forward to working with you to ensure the new facility reflects the needs and aspirations of Waihi Beach.
Why this matters:
- The high cost of land has been the biggest barrier to recent development attempts, making a community partnership the only viable way forward.
- Partnering with Council ensures public land is used for public good, keeping healthcare services local, sustainable, and centred on the community.
- As a charitable organisation, PHCL reinvests what it earns directly back into primary healthcare to improve services, support staff, and the communities we serve.
What the new medical centre will deliver
The new facility will:
- Improve services – A larger, purpose-built facility would create the capacity for more specialist clinics, provide space for visiting consultants, and strengthen chronic condition management and urgent care services for the community. These improvements would also help attract and retain new clinicians, ensuring a wider range of care is available locally.
- Support training – A dedicated space for medical students and GP registrars, helping train and attract future doctors who may stay in the community long-term. Both Dr Jenks and Dr Theunis are passionate about mentoring and training the next generation of GPs.
- Prepare for emergencies – The design includes ambulance access and proximity to the helicopter landing point, supporting resilience in emergencies.
- Enhance sustainability – The design includes energy- and water-efficient features, stormwater management, and landscaping with native plants.
The building footprint has been carefully designed to occupy only 30% of the reserve, leaving most of the green space available for the community. A light-touch screw pile foundation system will be used, preserving the land beneath the building and allowing for future reuse of the site if required. Construction will take place off-site, avoiding disruption to residents, and the design ensures the facility blends into its surroundings.
We are proud to serve the Waihi Beach community and remain committed to providing healthcare that is close to home and responsive to local needs. A new facility will equip our staff with the tools and space required to enhance services, ensure long-term sustainability, and create a health centre ready to serve the community and visitors well into the future.
We will keep this page updated as the project progresses to help keep our community informed.
You can read the full Council report and attached proposal here: https://westernbayofplenty.infocouncil.biz/Open/2025/08/PMC_20250815_AGN_2955_AT_WEB.htm
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why not renovate the existing Wilson Road clinic?
The current site is privately owned, too small, outdated, and not fit for modern healthcare.
Why use reserve land for this project?
High land prices in Waihi Beach make it financially unviable for a not-for-profit organisation to buy and build. Accessing a small portion of reserve land through Council on community-based terms ensures the facility can go ahead while still protecting green space for the community.
Will this affect public access to the reserve?
No. The proposed design occupies about 30% of the reserve. The majority of the green space remains for public use, and the landscaping will enhance the area with native vegetation.
Recent articles
