Waihī Beach Library, Service Centre and Community Hub

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Thanks for your patience as we worked through your feedback and carried out detailed research on the new Waihī Beach Library, Service Centre and Hub.

We’re excited to provide you with some news, including the approved location for the new Library.



We had a great response from the community and now have a much greater understanding of what’s important to everyone.


Here’s a summary of the feedback we received, what followed and the latest news on this kaupapa (topic).



Our journey began with two questions.


  1. Where should it be?
    We shared a list of seven possible sites, with four locations singled out as preferred sites that people could vote for (read about these sites).

  2. What features should it have?
    We wanted to know what features the community would use in a new facility.

Across all 575 pieces of feedback received (online survey, petition, email) the most popular sites were:

  • Beach Road, Community Centre carpark
  • Beach Road, Community Centre rear reserve
  • Wilson Road, Te Mata Reserve

It was clear that your priorities are

  • Parking for cars and bikes, and not adding to congestion
  • Close to School and Community Centre
  • Close to town, but not necessarily right in the town centre
  • Easy, safe access for all people and ability

Your ideas for what other activities the library could be used for included

  • A community hub and resource centre
  • Bookable event space with meeting rooms/ conference facility
  • Co-working office space, kitchenette
  • Interactive kids area, makers space
  • Art exhibition area, cinema, pool, cafe and fitness centre


We heard you love the library in its current location on the community centre grounds. And the next best site was Wilson Road, Te Mata Reserve.


Which is why we’re pleased to let you know the Beach Road, Community Centre carpark has been approved by Council as the location for new location for the Waihī Beach Library, Service Centre and Hub.

To make sure this stacked up, we’ve undertaken some detailed investigations on this location including a quantity surveyors report, meetings with key stakeholders and initial architects concept plan.


We know this site ticks the boxes for being close to the school and community centre, has adequate parking and can provide the necessary space and safe access. It also provides an opportunity to create a new shared operating model that would give the school more use of the library, and upgrade the existing facilities offered by the Community Centre.


This site was also the lower cost option at $6,565,000, plus $297,000 for the required Community Centre upgrades.


The Wilson Road, Te Mata Reserve site is closer to the town centre, but had more constraints on the site (flooding, site size and shape, exclusive use requirements from landowners) and was the higher cost option at $8,671,000.



The next steps for the library, Council service centre and hub are to proceed from the concept design to a detailed design. We’ll also be working with key people on how the ongoing operating model will work.

In the meantime you can view the architects initial concept here.

The timing of the library, service centre and community hub build will be considered by Council through the Annual Plan 2023-24 with a view to undertake construction earlier than planned in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan (originally planned for 2028). The original budget was estimated at $2.5 million, however this figure was not intended to accurately reflect the final cost to design and build the facility, as detailed information on location and design could not be confirmed until now.


Thanks for your patience as we worked through your feedback and carried out detailed research on the new Waihī Beach Library, Service Centre and Hub.

We’re excited to provide you with some news, including the approved location for the new Library.



We had a great response from the community and now have a much greater understanding of what’s important to everyone.


Here’s a summary of the feedback we received, what followed and the latest news on this kaupapa (topic).



Our journey began with two questions.


  1. Where should it be?
    We shared a list of seven possible sites, with four locations singled out as preferred sites that people could vote for (read about these sites).

  2. What features should it have?
    We wanted to know what features the community would use in a new facility.

Across all 575 pieces of feedback received (online survey, petition, email) the most popular sites were:

  • Beach Road, Community Centre carpark
  • Beach Road, Community Centre rear reserve
  • Wilson Road, Te Mata Reserve

It was clear that your priorities are

  • Parking for cars and bikes, and not adding to congestion
  • Close to School and Community Centre
  • Close to town, but not necessarily right in the town centre
  • Easy, safe access for all people and ability

Your ideas for what other activities the library could be used for included

  • A community hub and resource centre
  • Bookable event space with meeting rooms/ conference facility
  • Co-working office space, kitchenette
  • Interactive kids area, makers space
  • Art exhibition area, cinema, pool, cafe and fitness centre


We heard you love the library in its current location on the community centre grounds. And the next best site was Wilson Road, Te Mata Reserve.


Which is why we’re pleased to let you know the Beach Road, Community Centre carpark has been approved by Council as the location for new location for the Waihī Beach Library, Service Centre and Hub.

To make sure this stacked up, we’ve undertaken some detailed investigations on this location including a quantity surveyors report, meetings with key stakeholders and initial architects concept plan.


We know this site ticks the boxes for being close to the school and community centre, has adequate parking and can provide the necessary space and safe access. It also provides an opportunity to create a new shared operating model that would give the school more use of the library, and upgrade the existing facilities offered by the Community Centre.


This site was also the lower cost option at $6,565,000, plus $297,000 for the required Community Centre upgrades.


The Wilson Road, Te Mata Reserve site is closer to the town centre, but had more constraints on the site (flooding, site size and shape, exclusive use requirements from landowners) and was the higher cost option at $8,671,000.



The next steps for the library, Council service centre and hub are to proceed from the concept design to a detailed design. We’ll also be working with key people on how the ongoing operating model will work.

In the meantime you can view the architects initial concept here.

The timing of the library, service centre and community hub build will be considered by Council through the Annual Plan 2023-24 with a view to undertake construction earlier than planned in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan (originally planned for 2028). The original budget was estimated at $2.5 million, however this figure was not intended to accurately reflect the final cost to design and build the facility, as detailed information on location and design could not be confirmed until now.


  • Feedback has now closed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

    We’ve investigated seven sites around Waihī Beach and narrowed it down to our top four.  

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