Taranaki Hospital Redevelopment Gets $59M Boost to Finish East Wing by 2025

In a decisive move to modernize healthcare infrastructure and address evolving regional needs, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced an additional $59.2 million in funding for the Taranaki Base Hospital Redevelopment Project. This top-up brings the total investment into sharp focus as the Government reaffirms its commitment to completing Stage Two of the hospital upgrade by the end of 2025.

The extra funding is being allocated to manage cost pressures that have emerged since the initial budget forecasts were made in 2022. Rising construction costs, materials, and labour market challenges have necessitated this financial reinforcement to ensure the project stays on track and meets its ambitious health delivery goals.

A New Standard for Regional Healthcare

Central to this next phase of redevelopment is the construction of the East Wing Building—a six-storey, 20,000-square-metre facility that promises to transform healthcare service delivery in Taranaki. When complete, it will offer a state-of-the-art environment designed around both clinical efficiency and patient-centred care.

The building will host many of the hospital’s most essential acute and specialist services, including:

• A new Emergency Department designed for faster triage and treatment

• An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with enhanced monitoring technology

• Modern maternity and neonatal facilities

• Expanded radiology services to improve diagnostic turnaround

• A primary birthing unit supporting safer, community-aligned maternal care

• A rooftop helipad to streamline critical transfers

• A tūpapaku viewing room – a culturally significant space to honour Māori customs and grieving processes

Importantly, the East Wing will increase patient space capacity to 151 beds – 55 more than current levels – and include 34 laboratory workstations, significantly improving the hospital’s diagnostic capabilities.

Built for Growth, Designed for the Future

The facility is designed with future-proofing in mind, allowing for scalable expansion as the healthcare needs of the Taranaki region evolve. This is especially crucial in the face of a growing and ageing population, increasing demands on both primary and specialist services.

Minister Brown emphasized that this redevelopment reflects a broader Government strategy to modernize hospital infrastructure nationwide and to shift toward more efficient, integrated, and patient-focused models of care.

“This redevelopment is a critical investment in modernising healthcare for the people of Taranaki,” Mr Brown stated. “It’s about ensuring the system can meet the needs of a growing and ageing population, while also supporting the workforce with modern, integrated facilities.”

Health System Resilience and Workforce Support

The inclusion of an Integrated Operations Centre (IOC) in the new wing is expected to dramatically enhance hospital coordination and logistics. By centralizing bed management, emergency response, and staffing data, the IOC will streamline care delivery and reduce delays.

Meanwhile, the acute assessment unit will help redirect pressure from the emergency department by allowing patients to be rapidly assessed and streamed to appropriate care pathways.

“Modern infrastructure helps reduce wait times, improve care, and ensure patients get the high-quality treatment they expect and deserve,” Minister Brown said. “The completion of the East Wing Building will be a significant milestone for healthcare in the region.”

He also underscored the importance of cultural responsiveness in hospital design, highlighting the tūpapaku viewing room as a small but significant gesture toward inclusive healthcare practices that respect Māori customs and whānau needs.

A Broader Commitment to Public Health Infrastructure

The Government’s renewed investment in the Taranaki Base Hospital is part of a wider commitment to rebuilding the public health system’s physical and operational foundations. This includes not just addressing deferred maintenance and outdated facilities, but also aligning infrastructure with 21st-century clinical models and digital technology.

“We are focused on delivering the hospital infrastructure New Zealand needs – with clear outcomes for patients and communities,” Brown noted.

The redeveloped hospital is expected to contribute not only to better health outcomes, but also to regional economic development, with construction activity, job creation, and improved long-term workforce attraction and retention.

As the countdown to 2025 continues, the people of Taranaki can look forward to a new chapter in healthcare—one built on modern design, expanded capacity, and a deepened commitment to equitable, high-quality care.