Rotorua to get new $2.5m building to house kaupapa Māori delivery of services under one roof

The old building has been demolished to make way for the new multi million dollar build, that will be completed in 2023. Photo / NZME

A new multi-million-dollar building for Rotorua residents to access health and wellbeing services under one roof has been approved.

Rotorua Lakes Council issued a building consent valued at $2.5 million for Manaaki Ora Tipu Ora and Te Utuhina Manaakitanga Trust's new commercial building on Fenton St.

It was the largest of seven commercial consents valued at $5.3m issued in June.

Te kaiwhakahaere matua (chief executive) of Manaaki Ora, Hingatu Thompson, said the project had been five or six years in the making.

"The build will enable us to deliver better service."

The original building had been demolished to make way for the new one, which was a "real positive" for the trust, Thompson said.

"It's really exciting.

"We want it to feel like it's Rotorua, for our whanau hauora."

Manaaki Ora was a kaupapa Māori organisation that brought together Tipu Ora - a primary health, social and education service provider - and Te Utuhina Manaakitanga, which provided a range of services for adults and youth with alcohol and other drug addictions.

"Our two service arms (Tipu Ora and Te Utuhina) have been around 30 years in Rotorua. This is an opportunity after 30 years to build a facility that will contribute to oranga (health) and wellbeing of our community.

"It will allow us to bring all of our services together to one place and hopefully make it more accessible for people."

Manaaki Ora CEO Hingatu Thompson. Photo / RNZ

The exterior design was shaped by the journey of the Te Arawa people to Aotearoa and the waka hourua that carried them.

The importance to Manaaki Ora of the waka's journey will be reflected in the logo design, capturing the waka and its two sails. Eight solar shades will represent the eight beating hearts of Te Arawa.

The interior design will be framed around the concept of creating a vertical marae and will incorporate Te Arawa patterns, including Te Aramoana to represent the ocean's waves and the journey of Te Arawa waka.

Thompson said the long-term goal was to open the venue to the community and work with other organisations in the future.

He expected the new building would be completed by April next year.

The Rotorua Lakes Council issued seven commercial consents valued at $5,312,500 last month. That compared to eight commercial consents issued in June last year valued at $2,333,000.

Deputy chief executive of district development, Jean-Paul Gaston, said consenting activity remained consistently high across all areas.

"It is always good to see investment in new buildings in our city and upgrades to existing buildings."