Northern Coromandel: why a Wellbeing & Education Centre matters now

For many people, Northern Coromandel is a place of deep connection – to land, sea and community. From Papa Aroha on the west coast, up to Port Jackson and Port Charles and down to Tuateawa on the east, residents and visitors value the beauty and independence of this remote rural region. But behind the postcard images sits a more complex story: high deprivation, an ageing population, low incomes, limited housing and long distances to essential services.

In 2017, a detailed feasibility study for what is now The Colville Project (TCP) highlighted these challenges and concluded that TCP, including a  new community facility – a Wellbeing & Education Centre (WEC) – would be a feasible and appropriate response. Almost a decade on, updated data shows that the needs identified then have not gone away. In several important respects, they have intensified.

The question for our community, our partners and potential funders is no longer "Is there a need?" but "How do we respond in a way that is effective, sustainable and aligned with national strategies for rural Aotearoa?" The proposed Wellbeing & Education Centre is our local answer to that question.

What the wellbeing data tells us now

The original feasibility work drew on 2013 Census information and deprivation indices. It described Northern Coromandel as a high‑need area, with a New Zealand Deprivation Index score of 8 on a 10‑point scale (10 being the most deprived). Recent deprivation mapping now places the region at decile 9. In other words, relative to the rest of the country, our communities have slipped further towards the most deprived end of the spectrum.

At the same time, the population is aging rapidly. District‑level census figures show the median age rising from just over 51 years to around 55 years, while the national median has barely shifted. This means the age gap between our region and the rest of Aotearoa has widened to about 17 years. Around one in three residents are now aged 65 or over, more than double the national rate. The trend is very clear: more older people are aging in place, which in turn  increases need for health care, social support and safe housing.

Economic indicators tell a similar story. Median personal incomes in the district have risen in dollar terms but remain significantly below the national median. In the northern part of the district, incomes are lower again, and much of the work available is seasonal or part‑time. This leaves many households with limited financial resilience, especially in the face of rising living and housing costs.

Housing is a particularly pressing issue.

Census data shows that for at least a decade, roughly half of all dwellings in Thames‑Coromandel have been unoccupied on census night. This reflects a large number of holiday and second homes, many owned by people who live elsewhere. At the same time, average income is less than both the general TCDC and Coromandel town areas.

However, rents are frequently comparable, and rental opportunities are severely limited.   Coupled with the Northern Coromandel Peninsula region having one of the worst relative income to house price/rental ratios in the country, . the result is a mismatch: a large stock of houses that sit empty for much of the year, and permanent residents who struggle to find affordable , appropriate homes along with security of tenure.

Physical Isolation is a compounding factor

On top of this, Northern Coromandel remains physically isolated from many of the services other New Zealanders take for granted. The nearest secondary hospital is up to  two or more hours' drive away in Thames, over narrow and often fragile roads. Tertiary services in Hamilton or Auckland are 3.5 hours or more away. In 2025, Thames was one of 13 locations visited during the national Rural Health Roadshow, where rural people spoke directly to Ministers and officials about distance, cost, workforce shortages, digital gaps and the need for services closer to home. Northern Coromandel residents were among those voices, including members of our own Board. While new initiatives such as expanded paramedic services and rural health pilots are welcome, the fundamental reality of distance has not changed.

When we put real numbers against these distances, the impact on local people becomes clearer. From Colville township, a "simple" GP visit in Coromandel Town typically involves over one hour of driving and, once we account for vehicle running costs (using Inland Revenue's standard kilometre rate of $1.17 per kilometre for petrol vehicles) and time away from paid work or other responsibilities, an effective cost in the order of $105 for a single return trip. A day return to Thames Hospital for an outpatient clinic can be nearer three hours on the road and about $270 in combined travel and time costs. For routine appointments, major investigations or surgery at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, the commitment can climb to five and a half hours of driving and an effective cost of around $590 per visit.  For those living beyond Colville, the costs in time and money is more.

The national Rural Health Roadshow (2025) heard similar stories across the motu: communities described long journeys for dialysis, scans and specialist appointments, with travel distance and costs repeatedly identified as key barriers to access, especially where local facilities are limited. The National Travel Assistance scheme can offset some of these costs, and recent improvements have increased mileage and accommodation rates. However, eligibility thresholds, paperwork and delays still mean many people either do not qualify or are discouraged from claiming support, a concern raised repeatedly during the Roadshow.  People from our region can access this scheme through a Coromandel-based organisation, but hours are limited to 8:45am-3pm.

In a community where incomes are already well below the national average, and where many people need several appointments each year, these travel costs are not incidental expenses – they are substantial barriers that can delay or prevent people from getting the care they need.

Connectivity has improved over recent years, but unevenly. Mobile coverage and broadband have expanded in parts of the region, yet there are still pockets where telehealth, remote learning and online work remain difficult. Mobile coverage is also disjointed, with availability of providers changing often within only the space of a few km. For a community that could benefit greatly from digital access to services, this represents another layer of inequity.

Taken together, these trends paint a clear picture. Northern Coromandel remains a community of strength and resilience, but it is also one of the most deprived and isolated parts of Aotearoa. The population is older, relatively poorer and more reliant on part‑time and seasonal work than the national average. Housing and transport patterns make life more precarious for those who live here year‑round, and make it near impossible for families to return to the area.  These are exactly the conditions in which integrated local infrastructure – like a Wellbeing & Education Centre – can make a measurable difference.

What this means for everyday life

For older people, distance and fragmentation of services can turn relatively simple needs into major challenges. A routine appointment may require a full day of travel, cost, and organising support. When health issues become more complex, the effort needed to access care increases just as personal capacity may be declining. Even for a younger person, a 6-7 hour return trip to access such services, is exhausting.  The Rural Health Roadshow report highlights that rural communities face higher suicide rates than urban areas (1.4 times higher for males, 1.2 times higher for females), ongoing youth mental‑health pressures and growing concern about aged care and 'ageing in place'. Dedicated rural wellbeing funds and Rural Support Trusts are part of the national response, but they rely on having suitable local spaces to meet, run groups and deliver support.

For families and younger people, the picture is different but connected. Limited local training and employment opportunities encourage young people to leave the area. Those who stay often juggle seasonal or casual work, with fewer chances to build long‑term careers. Access to early childhood programmes, learning support, mental health services and youth activities is patchy, and dependent on having appropriate facilities, visiting providers and volunteer effort.

For everyone, the lack of a dedicated, well‑equipped community hub means services are scattered across multiple sites, largely in buildings that were not designed for their current purposes. Staff and volunteers make do, working around constraints of space, privacy, storage and technology. This is not sustainable for the long term, especially as needs increase.

How a Wellbeing & Education Centre responds

Against this backdrop, the Wellbeing & Education Centre(WEC)  is not just "a new building". It is an enabling piece of infrastructure designed to support better health, education and wellbeing for decades to come.

At its core, the WEC brings together:

• Primary health care (such as general practice, nursing and visiting specialists) in targeted, purpose‑built spaces.

• Wellbeing and social services, such as mental health support, whānau services and outreach programmes by providing a  fit‑for‑purpose base in Northern Coromandel.

• Opportunities for education and lifelong learning activities, from early years and school partnerships through to adult education, digital skills and community courses.

• Spaces for community services, groups, cultural activities and inter‑generational programmes.

• Limited accommodation options  to support visiting practitioners, and those with particulars needs such as for respite and/or palliative care.  

By co‑locating services, the Centre would reduce the need for multiple trips, make it easier for providers to collaborate, and create a more reliable "front door" for residents and visitors seeking services and support.

Telehealth and digital services like Healthline, Ka Ora Telecare and Online GP Care are now key parts of rural health delivery. The Rural Roadshow Report notes, however, that poor broadband and limited access to devices still restrict who can benefit. Health NZ is exploring community hubs as places where people can safely access digital health tools. The proposed WEC is ideally suited to play this role in Northern Coromandel. Purpose‑built rooms with appropriate technology would enable telehealth clinics, remote specialist consultations and online education programmes, with reliable connectivity and local support on hand. This aligns directly with national directions for rural health and digital inclusion.

The WEC would also provide a base for outreach into the wider Northern Coromandel area. Much of the best rural service delivery happens when local facilities act as hubs for mobile teams. WEC is designed with this in mind: not to centralise everything in Colville, but to strengthen the local platform so services can reach further.

A rural training and workforce asset

Nationally, rural communities reported persistent workforce shortages and difficulties attracting and retaining GPs, nurses and allied health professionals. The Rural Roadshow Report notes work under way on rural training hubs, rural generalist pathways and a new Waikato medical school with a strong rural focus. A modern, well‑equipped WEC in Colville would provide exactly the kind of placement and training environment these initiatives require – a place where students and practitioners can live, work and learn in a rural setting, supported by local services and community. This invites Te Whatu Ora, the University of Waikato and workforce planners to see WEC as part of their own solution.

Alignment with national and regional strategies

A project of this scale must do more than respond to local need. It should also help government agencies and partners implement their own strategies.

The New Zealand Health Strategy emphasises integrated, people‑centred care, closer to where people live. The Rural Health Strategy, mandated under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act, identifies rural communities as a priority group with higher health needs, greater access barriers and a higher proportion of older people and Māori, many living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas of Aotearoa. The Strategy sets out five priorities: treating rural communities as a priority group, focusing on prevention, making services available closer to home, supporting access at a distance, and sustaining a valued rural workforce.

Northern Coromandel fits this description closely, and the proposed Wellbeing & Education Centre is a local way of giving effect to all five Strategy priorities. Te Whatu Ora has made it clear that rural health requires new models, not simply more of the same.

Similarly, education policies increasingly recognise the value of community‑based hubs for supporting learners and their whānau, particularly in unde‑served areas. Learning community hubs and similar initiatives show that when schools and communities work together in shared spaces, engagement and outcomes improve.

On the local side, Thames‑Coromandel District Council and Waikato regional plans speak of  resilient communities, better access to services, and more effective use of community infrastructure. The original feasibility study for this project concluded that a community facility would be an "ideal exemplar" for putting these strategies into practice in a remote rural setting.

The Wellbeing & Education Centre directly advances all of these directions. It offers a concrete way for health, education, social and local government partners to deliver on their commitments in one of the country's most deprived rural areas.

An invitation to partner

The Colville Project has always been rooted in community initiative and collaboration. The Wellbeing & Education Centre builds on that foundation.

It is not a request for others to "fix" Northern Coromandel from the outside, but an invitation to work alongside a community that is already active, organised and committed.

Support for WEC is support for:

• equitable access to health and wellbeing services for an ageing, high‑need rural population,

• better educational and training opportunities that help young people stay and thrive locally,

• more efficient and sustainable use of resources across multiple agencies, and

• a practical demonstration of how national strategies can be implemented in remote communities.

As we move into the next phase of planning and fundraising, The Colville Project welcomes conversations with partners who see their own goals reflected in this vision. Together, we can ensure that the Northern Coromandel has the infrastructure it needs to remain a place where people of all ages can live well, learn, work and contribute for generations to come.