Project Maunga — upgrading Taranaki Base Hospital

Stage One of the Taranaki Base Hospital Redevelopment was completed in September 2013, with the construction of the Acute Services Building (ASB).
Stage one was delivered on time and within budget, providing acute medical and surgical care in a purpose-built facility. It included a theatre suite, day surgery, endoscopy and day procedure services, five 30-bed wards, a 22-bed paediatric ward, and a sterile services department.

Project Maunga Stage 2 is well underway at Taranaki Base Hospital with the construction of the New East Wing Building (NEWB), a six-storey facility covering 20,000m2. This new building will house many of Taranaki Base Hospital’s acute clinical services including the Emergency Department (ED), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Maternity, primary birthing, Neonatal, Radiology, a laboratory, and a roof-top helipad.

As part of the hospital’s Seismic Risk Management Plan (SRMP), Te Huhi Raupō, the new renal unit,  along with a new Energy Centre, computer room and an upgrade to critical site wide infrastructure have also all recently been completed.

In addition to Stage 2, construction of a new purpose-built Taranaki Cancer Centre (TCC) at Taranaki Base Hospital began in 2024. The Centre will house a new linear accelerator (LINAC) and bring all related oncology outpatient services under one roof. It will mean chemotherapy patients will be able to have their treatment sessions in a new 12 chair department, and that the 70-80% of Taranaki cancer patients that require radiotherapy, will be able to have most of their treatment provided locally.

Finally, Taranaki Base Hospital’s new stand-alone mental health rehabilitation facility Te Puna Wai Kātea is on track to be completed in 2025. Te Puna Wai Kātea has been designed to deliver clinical care and rehabilitation services that better meet the needs of Taranaki patients. The facility will provide four short to medium-term stay bedrooms and be a place for patients who need an extra helping hand on their mental health journey.

One of the exciting aspects of these projects is the commitment to sustainable development shown by Health NZ Taranaki, and the Ministry of Health. Reduced energy and water consumption improved indoor environments (natural light, thermal comfort and air quality), sustainable materials and reduced impact on the surrounding environments are key parts of the designs. Not only will this mean that the buildings will reduce the Health NZ Taranaki carbon and energy footprint and align with Carbon Free 2050, it is also expected to have a significant benefit to staff, patient and whānau wellbeing.

The project team have achieved five-star Green Star certification for Design and As-Built for the New East Wing Building (NEWB) and Taranaki Cancer Centre (TCC). NEWB was the first healthcare facility, public or private to achieve certification. 

The Project Maunga team are also targeting five-star Green Star certification for Interiors on both NEWB and TCC. 

This purpose-built and designed facility will house a new linear accelerator (LINAC) – which uses radiation to destroy cancer cells while leaving surrounding tissue undamaged - and bring all related oncology outpatient services under one roof. When commissioned, the facility will have the latest in modern cancer treatment technologies and user design.

The integration of cancer treatment services means that Taranaki patients will no longer have to attend their appointments at multiple locations and facilities. Around 80% of cancer patients requiring radiation treatment in the Taranaki district can have all of their treatment locally apart from one planning visit to Palmerston North.

The design for the new Taranaki Cancer Centre includes;

• LINAC Radiotherapy Unit
• Ten chairs and two single isolation rooms for chemotherapy
• Eight outpatient consult rooms with video conferencing capability
• Restful and appropriate décor wait spaces
• Whānau facilities
• Accessible facilities with carer assisted change and toilet rooms
• Staff offices and amenities

The centre is expected to be completed in 2025.

The New East Wing Building (NEWB) will enable the relocation of the following core clinical services: Emergency Department, Radiology, Laboratory, Maternity services, Neonatal, and Intensive Care Unit, incorporating High Dependency Unit and Coronary Care Unit. In addition to these existing departments, NEWB will also house an Acute Assessment Unit, Primary Birthing Unit, Integrated Operations Centre, Tupapaku Viewing Room, and a rooftop helipad.

The expected outcomes include:

• compliance with Earthquake Prone Building Amendment Act
• compliance with NZ Building Code
• reduced clinical risk
• improved resilience of Taranaki Base Hospital, including post-disaster provision of emergency medical and surgical response
• improved models of care that enable Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Taranaki to manage acute demand by the improvement of patient pathways in the Emergency Department (ED).
• the development of an Acute Assessment Unit to reduce hospital admissions
• improved equity of access for Māori via the inclusion of a Primary Birthing Unit adjacent to the Secondary Care Maternity Unit

improved patient transfer times with the inclusion of a rooftop helipad with direct access to the emergency department, Intensive Care Unit and theatres.

Te Huhi Raupō began welcoming patients in November 2022 and was officially opened by the Minister of Health Hon. Dr Ayesha Verrall on 21 March 2023.

The single-storey timber building is approximately 800m2 and has a distinctly non-clinical feel. It has 10 treatment chairs with distant sea views, along with 2 training rooms (to help patients learn to carry out their own care), an isolation room, and a self-care room. The 3 outpatient rooms mean the facility can now accommodate other support teams such as social work, dietitian, podiatry and, provide wrap-around care for patients with diabetes.

At the opening, Wharehoka Wano, Tumu Whakarito Te Kāhui o Taranaki, gifted the building the name Te Huhi Raupō to Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, on behalf of Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and Taumaruroa (made up of mana whenua Ngāti Te Whiti and the eight Iwi of Taranaki).

Raupō (also known as bullrush) is a resilient plant whose stalks grow tightly together. It bends in storms and windy conditions, but once the storm has passed, it stands again. In the same way, Te Huhi Raupō provides support and shelter for the Renal Unit patients, helping them to weather the storms of their illness and rise again after treatment.

To improve the overall resilience of the campus-wide infrastructure at Taranaki Base Hospital a new Energy Centre will be constructed as part of the SRMP. The Energy Centre will house critical electrical infrastructure and provide 72 hours of back-up power to the campus. The roof is designed to withstand ash-fall from a 1 in 2,500-year volcanic event. The Energy Centre will also house Computer Room 4, a dedicated facility for key Information and Computer Technology (ICT) infrastructure.

In addition, site-wide infrastructure upgrades will improve the resilience of the hospital campus with the addition of a second emergency power generator, increased water storage, replacement of the oxygen storage facility, provision of a new services routes for critical building services and the replacement of the secondary computer server room.

Taranaki Base Hospital’s new stand-alone mental health rehabilitation facility, Te Puna Wai Kātea has been designed to deliver clinical care and rehabilitation services that better meet the needs of the region’s patients.

Once complete, it will be a place for the small number of patients who need an extra helping hand on their mental health journey.

The facility will provide 4 short to medium-term stay bedrooms for patients to be based while they learn or re-learn the everyday skills needed to transition to independent living back in the community.

In addition to the bedrooms the facility will also have:

• an activities room
• a whānau room
• kitchen, dining, and living rooms

An area within the hospital campus near the Tukapa Street entrance will be redeveloped to accommodate the building which will be delivered by Taranaki firm Cleland’s Construction.

Construction is expected to take 12 months.

The name Te Puna Wai Kātea was gifted to Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora by the Tiriti partner for Project Maunga, Taumaruroa; a group made up of mana whenua Ngāti Te Whiti and representatives from each of the three waka of Taranaki.

It is a celebration of Te Reo and a reflection of this project’s commitment to Taranaki tikanga. The intention or meaning behind Te Puna Wai Kātea is about encouraging our patients/whaiora to find clarity in their lives.

The word puna, means a pool of water that is formed by a spring. It represents the spring of health and well-being. While the words wai kātea mean clear clean water and represents clarity and the state of having a full, detailed, and orderly mental grasp of something.

The Project Maunga Stage Two timelapse camera is capturing the progress being made on the New East Wing Building and Taranaki Cancer Centre from start to finish. An image is being captured every 15 minutes, the most recent being the one you can see on screen. By clicking on the movie camera icon, these images form a timelapse sequence. Check out what has been happening since you last visited!

• Project Maunga - East Wing Building | Camera 01 - Timescapes (external link)
• Taranaki Cancer Centre | Camera 01 - Timescapes (external link)

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If you have feedback about the Taranaki Base Hospital redevelopment project (Project Maunga):

• email: project.maunga@tdhb.org.nz