The health minister has directed Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to prioritise and accelerate work on a rural health centre in the central North Island, following a local mayor’s demand for action.

Minister Simeon Brown said work on the new Waimarino Wellness Centre in Raetihi would be accelerated.

“I have asked Health NZ to prioritise this work, involving key stakeholders, and expect that they are doing everything possible to support a good outcome for the future healthcare needs for this community,” Brown said in a statement on Friday.

“Health NZ acknowledges the time it has taken to finalise decisions on the future Waimarino Wellness Centre project with key stakeholders and is committed to work being progressed at pace.”

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said the minister’s directive was “a very welcome step forward”.

On Wednesday, Kirton and Waimarino Development Group co-chairwoman Honey Winter called on Health NZ and the Government to urgently prioritise the rebuild of the Seddon St health facility, saying progress had stalled.

The project was launched more than five years ago to deliver integrated health and social services for the region.

The minister acknowledged the importance to the community of health services in the district and made a commitment to move the project forward.

“I acknowledge how vital the existing Waimarino Health Centre is for the people of Raetihi, and I am committed to ensuring the Ruapehu community have access to quality primary and community healthcare,” Brown said.

“While work on the new wellness centre project is accelerated, I have been assured that the existing facility is able to accommodate the health services currently provided to the local community.”

The Ruapehu mayor welcomed the minister’s response as positive and “very encouraging”.

Kirton said the response offered “much-needed reassurance” to the Waimarino community that their voices were being heard.

“I want to sincerely thank Minister Brown for his leadership and recognising the importance of this facility to the Raetihi community in directing Health NZ Te Whatu Ora to prioritise the work,” Kirton said.

“The support from the minister reinforces the importance of strong collaboration between local and central government, Health NZ, and local stakeholders to deliver improvements in health services for rural communities.

“We now look forward to seeing progress on the ground and continued communication with all stakeholders to ensure a solution that meets the community’s needs,” Kirton said.

The aim was for the new facility to bring together local health and social service providers to create a “wellness hub” for the Waimarino community, including the communities of Raetihi and Ohakune.

In January 2020, then Health Minister David Clark said $2 million had been “set aside” to extend the Waimarino Health Centre in phase one of the project.

In 2022, the chief executive of the Whanganui District Health Board, Russell Simpson, said a further $3m had been tagged to phase two.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.