People riding mobility scooters are now smoothly humming along the new pathways at Ngati Kahu Hauora after clay pavers were gifted to the community health hub in Bethlehem.  

The community health hub, which provides family health care by offering multiple services in one place, were gifted 270 square metres of clay pavers from Tauranga City Council recently.  

The pavers were repurposed from the Wharf Street side of the future civic precinct site, Te Manawataki o Te Papa, in the city centre. 

The initiative to donate the pavers to the community aligns with Council’s commitment to reuse, repurpose, and recycle, says City Development and Partnerships general manager Gareth Wallis.  

“It’s great that the pavers are helping to provide a safer, more accessible experience for many of our whᾱnau in Tauranga.

“The distribution of these pavers is part of council’s commitment to collaborate with local communities during the development of Te Manawataki o Te Papa.”

Ngati Kahu Hauora Board Chair Eddie Brown says the gift of the pavers will make a huge difference to patients and clients, giving them safer access as they walk to and around the facilities. 

“Using these pavers to put a pathway in place will make a huge difference to our patients in terms of accessibility to our service and particularly for those who have mobility issues.”  

Due to financial pressures, the community health hub had not been able to complete any landscaping around the buildings so Eddie says the donated pavers have been a huge help. 

Gareth says an additional 300 square metres of pavers from Willow Street are earmarked for repurposing later in the construction programme. 

The gifted pavers to Ngati Kahu Hauora come as work on Te Manawataki o Te Papa is set to begin in early January 2024, with the construction of the library and community hub the first project to get off the ground.  

For more information about Te Manawataki o Te Papa and other city centre projects, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/ourfuturecitycentre