The future redevelopment of Tauranga Hospital has reached an “important milestone” with early concept images showing what a future building could look like, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

Funding was confirmed in Budget 2026 for design and enabling works at Tauranga Hospital as part of the Government’s regional hospital development programme.

Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North hospitals are also being redeveloped as part of the same tranche in the programme, under Health New Zealand’s Health Infrastructure Plan.

In a statement today, Brown said the images represented “the next step” in getting the three redevelopments under way.

Brown said an acute services building was at the centre of each redevelopment.

This would accommodate some of a hospital’s “busiest and most critical services”, including the Emergency Department, intensive care, maternity services, operating theatres and other acute services, he said.

“Getting these buildings right means more capacity where demand is highest, improved connections between services, and better facilities for the patients and staff who use them every day.

“Bringing these services together under one roof means shorter distances between them, faster access to critical care, and a better experience for patients and their families.”

Brown said the concept design gave all three projects a “common foundation” to work from as detailed business cases were developed.

It could be adapted for each hospital, so each site could respond to its own requirements and the needs of its community.

Early concept images show what future buildings at Tauranga, Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North Hospitals could look like as part of planned redevelopment.

Brown said site master planning, design feasibility work and site investigations had been completed.

Planning teams were now refining the business cases, preparing to move into the preliminary design phase and progressing site preparation activities, Brown said.

Funding announced in Budget 2026 was supporting design, site planning, and preparatory works across the three sites while business cases were refined.

“The work underway now lays the foundations for hospitals that will support patients, staff, and communities for decades to come,” Brown said.