The Cancer Society has announced plans to build a $30 million, 40-room lodge in Tauranga to provide free accommodation, meals and transport for cancer patients across the Bay of Plenty.
The new facility will be located just five minutes from Tauranga Hospital and is modelled on the society's successful Lion's Lodge in Hamilton. The project has moved from a "mighty dream" to a tangible goal after securing a third of its required funding, including a cornerstone $5 million donation from the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT).
Cancer Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty chief executive Helen Carter said the project has now transitioned from "a long-held vision to a real and achievable goal and momentum". The society has raised a combined $10 million, with $5 million from TECT and another $5 million from community support.
A critical need for regional patients
The lodge aims to remove the significant financial and logistical barriers that prevent many regional patients from receiving consistent and life-saving care. Ms Carter has previously highlighted that some patients from the Eastern Bay of Plenty were "compromising" on their treatments simply because of the difficulty and expense of getting to Tauranga.
Behind every appointment and every mile travelled is a person and their whānau fighting.
"A cancer diagnosis is a relentless, unfolding pathway of physical, emotional, financial challenges," Ms Carter says. She notes that global research clearly shows that patient outcomes worsen the further they live from a treatment centre. The 30-minute travel threshold is a critical marker for accessibility.
The facility is expected to be a game-changer for the entire region. It will serve not only patients from the Eastern Bay but also those from Rotorua, particularly men undergoing daily prostate cancer treatment in Tauranga over many weeks. The support will alleviate the immense pressure on patients and their whānau during an already stressful time.
"It will make a huge difference to people and their wellbeing and their opportunity to not just survive cancer treatment but for us to support people to do as well as they possibly can," Ms Carter says.
Fundraising for the final $20 million
With $10 million secured, the Cancer Society is now launching a major fundraising drive to secure the remaining $20 million. Ms Carter said the $5 million donation from TECT was "the catalyst" that has given the project significant momentum.
"They have enabled us to send a very strong signal which is real, urgent, ready and they’ve really unlocked this project to move forward," she says. The Trust's support followed a community consultation process where submissions strongly favoured using funds to address "longstanding gaps" in community infrastructure. While some argued it was a government responsibility, the overwhelming community feedback was positive.
The society aims to raise the outstanding balance this year, with a goal of breaking ground on the new lodge early next year. The construction is estimated to take between 18 months and two years. "The clock is ticking . the families need it today," Ms Carter says, urging community partners and philanthropists to get involved.
'Absolutely wonderful' news for patients
For past patients, the announcement is a source of relief and hope. Kawerau resident Julie Kelly, who underwent six-and-a-half weeks of daily radiation therapy for rectal cancer in Tauranga in 2024, called the plan "absolutely wonderful".
During her treatment, the 63-year-old stayed in a Greerton motel paid for by Health NZ's National Travel Assistance Scheme, while the Cancer Society provided meals and transport to the hospital. She says she would not have been able to travel back and forth daily after the gruelling sessions.
"Not everyone has the money to travel all the time to go back and forth," Ms Kelly says, noting how the cost of living and transport affordability crisis has only exacerbated the issue for many. Her experience has inspired her to organise a fundraiser for the lodge, stating that "every second person in Kawerau or Whakatāne has had to go to Tauranga for treatment or surgery", a situation echoed by parents elsewhere when navigating the NZ school system.
Broader investment in Tauranga's health infrastructure
The cancer lodge project is part of a wider push to bolster healthcare services in the rapidly growing city of Tauranga. The government recently announced that Budget 2025 includes funding for a new 24/7 urgent care service for the city, which is expected to be operational by mid-2026.
Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell said the new urgent care service would provide "faster, more accessible urgent care closer to home" and reduce the significant pressure on Tauranga Hospital's emergency department. The investment is part of a $164 million nationwide package to improve after-hours care, a move seen as critical after the abrupt closure of Papamoa's Consult365 clinic last November highlighted funding inconsistencies for urgent care providers.
These parallel investments address different but equally vital aspects of the region's health system. While the urgent care clinic will handle acute medical needs for the general public, the Cancer Society lodge provides specialised, long-term support infrastructure for a particularly vulnerable group of patients, an initiative supported by agencies like Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.
The focus on both projects reflects a growing recognition of the need for substantial health infrastructure to keep pace with the Bay of Plenty's population boom and associated housing developments, such as the major land development planned for Te Tumu.
Ms Carter is confident the community will rally to get the lodge built. "We want to ensure that everyone facing cancer in the Bay of Plenty can access treatment, is surrounded by support and is not alone," she says.
