The cost to rebuild Taupō's much loved social services hub Waiora House has climbed to $7.7 million.

The previous building, located at the old Taupō Maternity Hospital site, was demolished in 2019 after asbestos was discovered, and since then planning has been underway for a replacement building.

The new purpose-built Waiora House will be built on the same Spa Rd site and will be owned by the Taupō District Council and operated by the Waiora Community Trust.

The original budget for the rebuild was $5.9 million but, according to the Taupō District Council, this has risen by another $1.8 million to $7.7 million “due to the soaring cost of construction materials and supply issues since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The building contract has been awarded to locally-owned and operated company RBS Group who plan to begin work on the site next month and completes by late April 2023.

Before its demolition, Waiora House housed a variety of not-for-profit organisations and was highly valued by the community.

The new Waiora House has been designed to allow people and agencies to work together in a connected and collaborative way and will also feature public and private meeting spaces for community use.

Waiora Community Trust deputy chairman Chris Johnston said it was exciting to see the new building about to start.

“For the past 34 years, Waiora Community Trust’s management of Waiora House has allowed the social sector to have a safe, affordable hub for up to 22 entities, providing essential social services to our community.

“The new building with its modern efficient layout will ensure these organisations can continue to operate in the most effective and collaborative manner,” he said.

Taupō mayor David Trewavas said Waiora House was an integral part of the community and its services have never been more in demand with pressure on the social sector increasing.

“The pandemic and other factors such as the housing shortage have made life considerably harder for a sizeable, but often overlooked, number of people in our district,” Trewavas said.

“For years, Waiora House was the place they went to for help and advice.

“Council is committed to rebuilding it so that our district will have a social services hub once more.

“It’s also an exciting opportunity to create a flagship community centre for our district.”

Credit:Stuff.co.nz