Work has begun on the new Cambridge Police base.

The earthworks have now been completed on the joint Tainui and NZ Police 
project, and construction is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
“While there have been some initial delays due to COVID-19 restrictions, 
it’s exciting to see the process has started,” says Waikato West Area 
Commander Inspector Will Loughrin.
The new base will provide a modern-fit-for-purpose and functional policing 
space for Waikato Police staff while incorporating co-location spaces for 
community groups and local iwi to help foster relationships.
In August 2020, NZ Police and Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) signed a 
partnership agreement to support the build of modern, sustainable, 
community-minded Police facilities across Waikato.
The base is the first to be developed under the partnership agreement. With 
the lease on the current police station due to expire, the new station will 
provide a future-proof and fit-for-purpose space for Police that is easily 
accessible to the community.
The whenua is owned by TGH and was returned to the iwi (Waikato-Tainui) in 
1995 as part of its Raupatu settlement.
The 416sqm site is situated on the corner of Fort and Victoria Street- the 
site of the previous police house, allowing for public access and street 
presence.
“The location is located centrally and within easy access to the main town 
centre and suburban Cambridge, which ensures our response to calls for 
service is timely and delivers the service our community expects,” says 
Inspector Loughrin.
The proposed design has a distinctive, community-friendly design based on a 
waka ama (double-hulled canoe) and will incorporate many elements reflecting 
the local environment and community, including visual elements of 
significance to Waikato-Tainui and use of the region’s Hinuera stonework.
TGH CEO, Chris Joblin, says the company is pleased to partner with NZ Police 
to develop a police base, which has cultural history, and community 
engagement and inclusion as core design principles.
“We are building a facility that moves away from the traditional 
institutional look and feel to one that welcomes and embraces the community 
in a setting that acknowledges the local area, its tangata whenua origins and 
the town’s unique architectural characteristics,” says Mr Joblin.
“As an iwi organisation sustainability is important to us and that’s why 
we’ve looked to recycle materials from the original buildings where 
possible, including repurposing timber for carving, gifting wood to 
kaumaatua, and incorporating bricks and timber into the new building.”

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