Project Maunga Stage Two Update
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The New East Wing Building (NEWB) façade
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 Tēnā koutou kātoa
The end of the year is nearly upon us but there's no sign of things slowing down on Project Maunga, with 160 contractors working on the New East Wing Building (NEWB) site.
Installation of NEWB’s facade is progressing rapidly and looks fantastic. When entering the hospital via Lyn Street, you now get a real snapshot of how the building will look once complete. By the end of the year, the structural steel framing will be complete, and the finish line will be in sight for the final concrete slab pour, scheduled for late February.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our neighbours for been so understanding about some of our early starts during the cooler months. These were needed to ensure the concrete pours set before the sun went down and allow the project to remain on track.
The construction of the Taranaki Cancer Centre has begun, and I am thrilled that our strong working relationship with Leigh's Construction is set to continue as we bring this facility to fruition. Mobilisation of the piling rig will start shortly so that piling for the linac bunker can commence in January.
The recognition Te Huhi Raupō continues to receive for its innovation and sustainability is something that we're hugely proud of. The most recent wins at the 2023 Healthcare Environment Awards in New Orleans and the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Awards have topped off an amazing year. Being nominated across multiple stages on both national and international levels, is a testament to the commitment from Te Whatu Ora to sustainable design and the expertise of the designers and contractors involved.
As we head towards the festive season, I would like to thank the project team and our contractors for their continued mahi and dedication to this significant project. A year ago, we were only just starting to come out of the ground and now we can really see the true scale of this facility.
Wishing you all a safe and relaxing holiday season.
Ngā mihi
Jesse Jardine
Programme Director |
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Check out the progress on NEWB
The installation of NEWB's facade is looking amazing! Each of the panels are carefully craned into position by the team of specialists from Thermosash. While the facade looks sharp, it hides the hive of activity that is going on internally as the fitout of services and wall frames continues.
You can watch the progress unfold yourself, via the onsite Project Maunga timelapse camera which captures a new site photo every 15 minutes. |
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Where's Wally
Children, patients and staff throughout Taranaki Base Hospital have been getting joy from the mischief that Taranaki Base Hospital's very own Where's Wally has been creating on the NEWB building site.
Our Wally is a life-sized, red and white shirt-wearing, cardboard version of the infamous book character, that has lovingly been created by Sharon Luque Taranaki Base Hospital's play therapist.
Each morning the crew from Leigh's working on NEWB have been moving him to a new hiding place during their toolbox sessions, ready to be found by those looking into the construction site from their wards or offices.
“I’m always coming up with crazy ideas to inject some fun into our wards and creating our own version of Where's Wally was just another one of my quirky brainwaves, says Sharon.
"The challenge of finding him each day has certainly brought joy to young and old. It's even become a reason for some patients to get up and out of bed moving."
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Te Huhi Raupō gains further international recognition
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Te Huhi Raupō, the new Renal Unit at Taranaki Base Hospital, continues to be recognised for its innovative and sustainable design nationally and abroad.
In October the building was announced as a winner at the 2023 Healthcare Environment Awards in New Orleans. It was in contention with other newly built facilities at the Hospital of The University Of Pennsylvania and the Community of Hope, Family Health & Birth Centre in Washington DC.
It also received a national architecture award for Public Architecture at the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Awards held in Wellington on 16 November. The building was praised for its light filled spaces, use of sustainably sourced timber and relaxed and non-intuitional aesthetic. The judges also appreciated the input from Taumaruroa and Taranaki-owned, Tihei Limited, who helped to weave the narrative of wai (water) as a life-sustaining force, integral to the human body and the community’s well-being, into the building.
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Taranaki Cancer Centre Update
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Construction of the Taranaki Cancer Centre gets underway.
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Construction gets underway
After the completion of the enabling works, including the demolition of the old laundry building, the construction of the Taranaki Cancer Centre (TCC) began in October. Leigh’s Construction have been awarded the main works contract to deliver the state-of-the-art facility, designed by architects Chow Hill.
With the site establishment work now completed, a range of construction equipment including this 31-metre-high piling crane, will rumble onto site to help lay the piling for the building's specially designed bunker.
The bunker, like numerous other aspects of this new building, has been designed around the best way to safely accommodate the long-awaited LINAC machine which will use radiation to destroy cancer cells.
Completion of the TCC is scheduled for late 2025.
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Progress Report - Energy Centre
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Testing of two 1.8Mva generators to begin
Two new 1.8MVa generators have been installed into the new Energy Centre at Taranaki Base Hospital as part of the upgrading of the generator fuel system.
The testing of these will begin shortly and once they are commissioned, the current generator will be refurbished. These three generators are part of our site wide infrastructure upgrades and will provide the campus with up to 72 hours of backup power in the event of an emergency.
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NEWB contractors learn about mental health and wellbeing with Building Wellness Taranaki.
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Building Wellness Taranaki toolbox session
Over 100 contractors participated in an early morning toolbox session hosted by Building Wellness Taranaki last month. The session introduced the audience to the Taranaki-based charitable trust and explained how they are supporting our local construction community, including Project Maunga, by lifting the lid on mental health and wellbeing.
Attendees walked away from the session with a greater understanding of the state of the sector, its pressures, information about how to spot signs of distress in a friend or colleagues and how to best support them. The session was made possible thanks to an ongoing partnership between Building Wellness Taranaki and Te Whatu Ora Taranaki.
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Construction kōrero
During November Project Maunga and Te Heru Māpara teamed up to bring Construction Kōrero a series of workshops designed to provide young people in Taranaki with a chance to talk to some of the leaders in our construction industry and find out how to kick start their own construction careers.
The three events were hosted by Waitara High School, Axiom Training and Te Piipiinga Kakano Mai/Rangiatea Kura Kaupapa. Over 120 rangatahi attended these events which were supported by a range of organisations and companies that included:
- WITT Te Pūkenga
- BCITO
- EarnLearn
- Connected.Govt
- Leighs Construction
- Hanlon Plumbing
- Dialog Fitzroy.
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- HEL Rimu
- Offshore Plumbing Solutions
- Methanex
- Ringa Construction
- Profound Group
- Contego
- Project Maunga Te Whatu Ora
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Taranaki Health Foundation
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Donations from BakerTilly Staples Rodway and DFE Pharma have enabled us to provide new chemotherapy chairs for the Taranaki Cancer Care Centre.
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Four new chemotherapy chairs for the Taranaki Cancer Centre
With work starting on the Taranaki Cancer Centre (TCC), the Taranaki Health Foundation has started to look at ways that fundraising can enhance the environment in which patients receive their care.
In 2019, the Foundation successfully fundraised for six new chemotherapy chairs. These have a significant impact on the comfort of patients receiving chemotherapy, an ordeal that can sometimes take several hours. The TCC will have 10 chemotherapy bays, so a need was identified for four additional chairs.
After a radio interview on More FM with Ken & Anna and a few social media posts, the Foundation have successfully raised this money. A big thank you to Baker Tilly Staples Rodway, who purchased two chairs and to DFE Pharma, who also bought one. Skin Aware and Peggy Chen Skin Cancer & MOHS Surgery also came together to fund the remaining chair.
To top this off, the Soroptimist International of New Plymouth have done an incredible job fundraising a substantial sum that will fund one of the Chemotherapy isolation rooms.
It is heart-warming to see the fantastic response from local businesses. Investing in healthcare is one of the most impactful ways a business can invest in its people. If you would like to find out more about how you can help support an enhanced hospital, click the link below.
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