# A 27-year dream becomes reality with new Pacific-led medical centre in the Hutt Valley

Date: 6 Nov 2026
Released by: Health New Zealand

## MediaRelease.co Summary

Epuni Medical Centre has opened in the Hutt Valley as the first Pacific-led and owned general practice in the area, and only the second in the Central Region after Porirua’s Pacific Health Plus. Pacific Health Service Hutt Valley blessed the centre on 30 October 2026 and began seeing patients the next Monday, fulfilling a vision that dates to 1999.

## Original release

A vision dating back to 1999, for a Pacific-led general practice healthcare provider in the Hutt Valley has become a reality with Pacific Health Service Hutt Valley (PHSHV) launching its new Epuni Medical Centre. The centre was officially opened and blessed on Friday, 30 October, before welcoming patients from Monday, marking a major milestone for Pacific healthcare in Hutt Valley | Te Awakairangi. Epuni Medical Centre is the first Pacific-led and owned general practice in the area and only the second in the Central Region, alongside Pacific Health Plus in Porirua. Greater Wellington has the second highest Pacific population in New Zealand, behind Auckland. For PHSHV Board Chair Rev. Au Liko, the opening was the culmination of a journey stretching back to the organisation's beginnings in 1999. “Some of those who carried the original vision are no longer with us, but today the dream has not only survived, the dream has an address. The dream has a building. And it's called Epuni Medical Centre.” Over the past 27 years, successive PHSHV boards, leaders, staff and supporters have carried that vision forward, building an organisation grounded in tautua, the Samoan concept of service, and trusted relationships with its community. Rev. Liko said the opening was about much more than a new building. “Healthcare is about people, not buildings. Behind every appointment is a person, behind every diagnosis is a family, and behind every prescription is someone hoping for a better tomorrow. “Our success must never be measured simply by the number of patients enrolled or consultations completed, but by the lives we improve and the dignity with which we treat every person.” PHSHV's General Manager, Candice Apelu-Mariner, said reaching the milestone had taken a huge collective effort. “As the saying goes, when the canoe is built strong, it sails under clear blue skies. Epuni Medical Centre is a strong canoe, built with care so our families can journey well. “I am proud of what we've achieved and grateful to our Board for its vision and belief in where we're heading, and to our funders, partners and everyone who has backed us.” Health New Zealand’s Pacific Provider Development Fund supported PHSHV’s expansion into Epuni Medical Centre, helping strengthen Pacific primary and community care capability and enabling new models of care that better meet the needs of Pacific communities. Pacific Planning Funding Lead for the Central Region, Maria Lafaele, said the investment was an opportunity to help PHSHV achieve a milestone it had been working towards for almost three decades. “This is a significant achievement after 27 years of working towards this milestone,” she said. “The investment is about strengthening primary care, workforce and governance, and ultimately improving access to primary care services for our Pacific communities.” Health NZ National Chief Pacific Health, Pauline Fuimaono-Sanders, said the opening represented the dedication, perseverance and commitment to community that had driven PHSHV's growth. “We know our Pacific peoples have better outcomes when services are delivered by a workforce that looks like them and in a way that is underpinned by Pacific values, principles and models of care. Pacific Health Service Hutt Valley certainly does that. “Families in Lower Hutt are really going to benefit from having this clinic here. It is only the second Pacific-led GP clinic in the whole of the Central Region, so that is an amazing milestone.” For Rev. Liko, the achievement also belongs to the pioneers who began the journey and may never have had the opportunity to see its fulfilment. “Twenty-seven years ago, our pioneers planted a tree. Through the dedication of successive boards, leaders, staff, supporters and our community, that tree has been nurtured. Today, we enjoy its shade.” On Friday, 30 October, PHSHV honoured the people and the vision that carried it through 27 years. The following Monday, the next chapter began, with Epuni Medical Centre opening its doors to patients from Te Awakairangi’s Pacific and wider communities. Photo caption: Epuni Medical Centre and PHSHV kaimahi.

## Key details

- Issued by: Health New Zealand
- Published: 6 Nov 2026
- Publisher country: New Zealand

Original source: https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/news-and-updates/a-27-year-dream-becomes-reality-with-new-pacific-led-medical-centre-in-the-hutt-valley
MediaRelease.co canonical URL: https://mediarelease.co/nz/mr02698-a-27-year-dream-becomes-reality-with-new-pacific-led-06112026.html