Community Feedback Sought on New Waihī Beach Medical Centre Proposal

Western Bay of Plenty District Council is asking the public for their views on a proposal to build a new medical centre on part of the Beach Road Recreation Reserve at Waihī Beach. Primary Health Care Limited (PHCL), the not-for-profit organisation that currently runs the Waihī Beach Medical Centre on Wilson Road, has applied to lease approximately 1137 square metres — about 30% — of the reserve for the new facility.

Council agreed in principle to the application at its Projects and Monitoring Committee meeting on 15 August. Proceeding would require reclassifying that portion of the reserve to Local Purpose Reserve, while the remainder would stay as public open green space. The proposed facility would include car parks, accessways and landscaping.

PHCL chief executive Batami Pundak says a purpose-built centre would allow for more clinical rooms, improved urgent-care capacity and space for visiting specialists, as well as a training environment for future GPs to help attract more doctors to the area.

A community drop-in session is scheduled for 12 December, where residents can speak directly with council and PHCL representatives. The consultation period runs from 28 November through to 8 February 2026 — a ten-week window deliberately extended to cover the peak summer season when many homeowners and residents are in town. Feedback gathered will inform a final council decision expected in February or March 2026.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).