Approval granted for rest home to meet ‘tsunami’ of need on West Coast

Monday, 8 September 2025

Approval has been granted for a new retirement village and care home in Hokitika on the West Coast — an area with no such facilities and close to 700 people aged over 65.

Radius Residential Care announced on Monday the Westland District Council has granted approval in principle for the development of a new integrated aged-care community on part of Hokitika’s former racecourse site.

The proposed development, in collaboration with East West Developments Limited, will see the building of an 80‑bed care facility alongside a 50‑villa retirement village and a home care services hub.

Radius Care chief executive Andrew Peskett said the approval marked a major step in the company’s long‑held ambition to serve the Coast.

“Radius Care has been keen to expand to the West Coast and has considered sites previously, but none have been suitable. The old racecourse site is ideally placed for this development, and we are excited about becoming an integral part of the Hokitika community.”

With a high median age, the West Coast is unprepared for “the tsunami” of aged care need identified in Health New Zealand’s Aged Care Funding and Service Models Review report, said Peskett.

The new development comes to an area where there are no retirement villages and no full-service public hospital.

“A single rest home in the area provides approximately 55 beds. By contrast, our research and data shows there are already 687 people aged 65 and over in the district itself, and this is predicted to increase significantly in the next 20 years,” Peskett said.

“If you look at the wider catchment area of people who might need a place in a retirement village and then a care home, there are well north of 13,000 over the age of 70. There is a clear need for more capacity to cater for retirees and to then care for people’s mums and dads.”

Peskett said the development could help reverse the “ongoing eastward drift”, where families relocate to Christchurch or other locations to seek out care homes.

Westland mayor Helen Lash called the project “fantastic news for Hokitika and the wider Westland district”.

“It will provide our seniors with modern, locally delivered care options and create employment opportunities during construction and once the facility is operating.”

According to Peskett, the new village and care facility are expected to employ about 80 people, including health care assistants, nurses, gardeners, kitchen assistants and support staff. Radius Care will recruit locally as well as further afield if needed, he said.

The new care home will offer a full continuum of care, including rest home, hospital and specialised dementia care. A separate home care hub will be based on-site to deliver Radius Care’s home care services to clients living independently in the region.

“We will also bring our proven systems and high-acuity care model, RadPro, to Hokitika. Approximately 70% of our care homes currently hold Health NZ’s highest possible four-year certification,” said Peskett.

Planning and detailed design will now commence, with consultation to follow. It is not yet clear when the development is set to be completed.

“Radius Care intends to work closely with iwi, neighbouring residents and community stakeholders to ensure the development reflects local values and needs,” said Peskett.