New Zealand Blood Service reveals location of new Hamilton Donor Centre

Facility expected to be completed in late 2022

After 30 years located in the grounds of Waikato Hospital, New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) has approved exciting new plans to relocate to a purpose-built donor centre in Hamilton. The move is due to the current lease coming to an end with the Waikato District Health Board.

The new donor centre, the largest in the region, will be leased in a prominent and easily accessible city fringe location on the corner of Anglesea and London Streets.

Commenting on the new plans, Doug Gallagher, NZBS Director of Donor Services, said the relocation will allow the Service to move into a building that has been designed with the donor at its heart. It will also be both sustainable and future-proofed to help ensure NZBS is able to continue to meet ongoing increases in demand for blood and blood products, as well as support its commitments as a carbonreduce certified organisation.

“Our donors told us the donor experience started before they even entered our building.  Parking, accessibility and being close to major public transport hubs are really important features. So, from the very outset our search parameters had to take this into account. The new site not only ticks all those boxes but will ensure we are able to double our capacity to help meet future projected growth.”

NZBS has selected Stark Property, a local commercial property development company, as its partner for the development of the new facility.

“We are really excited to be working alongside the team at Stark Property,” continues Mr Gallagher. “Their passion for the city, its people and the possibilities of a reduced carbon footprint have been evident in every meeting we have had with them. Collectively we share many of the same values, and we know they are the right team to help us deliver a Donor Centre all of Hamilton and the wider Waikato region can be proud of.”

The demand for blood and blood products is continually increasing - plasma demand alone grows by 12% every year. The new facility in Hamilton forms part of a nationwide, long-term strategic plan to increase donor beds and resources across the Service's sites.

The new facility is expected to be completed in late 2022 to early 2023 and donors are asked to continue booking appointments at Hamilton’s current donor centre located in the grounds of Waikato Hospital.