Bay of Plenty District Health Board – (BOPDHB)

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) serves a population of 214,910 and stretches from the North West to the East Cape and inland to the Urewera, Kaimai and Mamaku ranges.

These boundaries take in the major population centres of Tauranga, Katikati, Te Puke, Whakatane, Kawerau and Opotiki. The population has the second fastest growth rate of all New Zealand’s DHBs.

The Bay of Plenty DHB deliver health and disability services through its public hospitals in Tauranga and Whakatane, they have 2,700 full-time and part-time staff, including 1,230 nurses and nurse care assistants and 210 specialists and doctors.

Tauranga Hospital – provides health services to the people of the Western Bay of Plenty. A secondary hospital, it provides level 4-5 services including medical, surgical, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology and mental health. The hospital is also a base for a range of associated clinical support services and allied health, such as rehabilitation, speech therapy, physiotherapy, stroke and cardiac support, district nursing and drug and alcohol programmes.

There are 349 beds at Tauranga Hospital, including the Special Care Baby Unit, maternity and mental health. Approximately 224 beds are available for medical and surgical patients (including critical care and coronary care) with a further 58 for children and older people and 17 for medical day stay. Twenty four beds are designated for mental health patients and 10 for Mental Health for older people. There are 43 beds available for maternity including 12 for the special care baby unit.

Tauranga Hospital serves one of the fastest growing populations in the country and the campus has undergone significant development in recent years.

In 2007, the Bay of Plenty Clinical School was set up to provide our health workforce with clinical training, facilities, resources and support for clinical trials and research projects.

Whakatane Hospital

Whakatane Hospital provides health services to the people of the Eastern Bay of Plenty. A secondary hospital, it provides level 3-4 services including medical, surgical, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology and mental health. The hospital has a range of associated clinical support services and allied health, such as rehabilitation, speech therapy, physiotherapy, stroke and cardiac support, district nursing and drug and alcohol programmes.

There are 110 beds at Whakatane Hospital, including the Special Care Baby Unit, Maternity and Mental Health. Approximately 67 beds are available for medical and surgical patients with a further 14 designated for children.

Whakatane Hospital serves a population that is rurally and coastally based, covering a wide geographic region. The BOPDHB is currently working on plans to redevelop the hospital campus, to meet new requirements and the modern needs of a diverse region.

Whakatane Hospital will be a key base for clinical and medical trainees in the future, as the DHB’s Clinical School becomes more established. Some training and placement programmes are already underway.

The opening of the Project Hope Cancer Centre based at Whakatane Hospital represents a community-DHB collaboration that has created an excellent oncology base for the region.

Lifestyle

The Bay of Plenty is a region of New Zealand on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. This region takes in the full sweep of the coastline from Lottin Point in the east, to Waihi Beach in the west. offering vast golden sand beaches, bush clad mountains, lush farmlands and more. Its pleasant climate means that the area has become a favourite for holiday makers, retirement and those looking for a different lifestyle outside of the main cities.

The people of the Bay of Plenty love sports and the outdoors and make the most of the recreational facilities that abound on their doorstep such as boating, surfing, fishing, diving, mountain biking and tramping, as well as the traditional team sports of rugby, netball and cricket.

And don’t forget about the vibrant food and entertainment focus with cafes, live music pubs, cinemas and live theatres.

Tauranga – is located at the head of a large harbour which extends along the western Bay of Plenty, and is protected by Matakana Island.Tauranga harbour is a popular recreational area and one of New Zealand’s most popular holiday destinations. The town and headland of Mount Maunganui stand at the entrance to the harbour, five kilometres north of Tauranga. “The Mount”, as it is known, is often regarded as a satellite town of Tauranga (the name Tauranga means “sheltered waters” in Maori).

Due to its sheltered position on the east coast, Tauranga enjoys a warm, dry climate. During the summer months the population swells as the holidaymakers descend on the city. The sunny Pacific Coast of the aptly-named Bay of Plenty offers some of New Zealand’s finest beaches for swimming, surfing and other water sports – Mount Maunganui is among the best known beaches in the country.

Much of the countryside surrounding Tauranga is horticultural land, used to grow a wide range of fresh produce for both domestic consumption and export. The area is particularly well known for growing tangelos (a grapefruit / tangerine cross) and kiwifruit. The Port of Tauranga also experiences brisk but seasonal shipping traffic and is a regular stop off for both container ships and luxury cruise liners. The City of Tauranga is home to a population of 110,000 and is the economic hub of the Bay of Plenty region, supporting a wide range of manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and horticultural industries

Whakatane – district in the Eastern Bay of Plenty is one of the most beautiful areas in New Zealand and the bay of plenty. Sandy beaches are predominant along the 54 kilometres of coastline that stretches from the west to the east. Central areas include fertile lowlands and farming areas on the Rangitaiki Plains through to Murupara. Te Urewera National Park in the south, is protected native forest full of a rich array of flora and fauna.

The climate is superb in Whakatane and it has the highest temperature in New Zealand about 55 days of each year. Average annual sunshine is 2332 hours.

The district has a population of 32,814 and is rich in forestry resources and has some of the country’s best dairy farms, the fertile soil of the district supports a variety of horticultural activities including market gardens, apple and kiwifruit orchards and flower growing. Bottling water for export is an emerging industry.

The district is serviced by excellent air, rail and road transport links. Whakatane is less than 100 kilometres from two large cities, Rotorua and Tauranga. It is less than 4 hours drive from Auckland and Hawkes Bay and 2.5 hours from Gisborne, Hamilton and Taupo. This puts Whakatane within relatively easy reach of about 50% of New Zealand’s population.

The Whakatane District has long been a popular holiday destination. The population in parts of the district trebles in summer.  White Island, an active volcano offshore is a world-renowned tourism attraction. Dolphin watching, deep-sea fishing, trout fishing, walking and tramping make the district an attractive destination for domestic and international tourists.

Whakatane town is the main town of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 98 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River. The town has a population of 18,000, with another 15,000 people living within the greater Whakatane district.