Best Collaboration at the Western Bay Community Awards 2026

By taking the opportunity to renovate and repurpose existing space at the Waihī Beach Lifeguards clubhouse, this collaboration made it possible to create something really valuable for the local community and visitors to Waihī Beach – a new combined special-purpose accessible changing facility alongside our first aid room, without the major cost of a completely new build.

It means beachgoers with accessibility needs now have a safe, private and fully accessible space close to the sand – and it is also a major step up in how we manage major first aid incidents and more complex situations.

We know there were several incredibly worthy finalists in this category, so this recognition means a lot.

Thank you to the partners behind the Western Bay Community Awards 2026 – Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

We’re proud of what this project represents for Waihī Beach – and to our community, thank you. This is a shared achievement, and a partnership we’re very proud of.