Police station on the move from Nuhaka to Mahia

The sole-charge police station at Nuhaka, set to be moved 20km to Mahia on Tuesday. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay's northernmost police station is on the move after a decision to establish a permanent station at Mahia.

The station will be transported the 20km from the State Highway 2 junction Nuhaka todayto a site beside the Mahia Fire Station, and the move includes that of sole-charge officer Senior Constable Craig Heneker, who grew-up in the area.

Tairawhiti area police commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said it followed a community meeting earlier this year and is based on greater demand for police at Mahia, where a temporary base is established each summer because of the numbers of holidaymakers in the area.

Nuhaka policeman Senior Constable Craig Heneker, set to become the Mahia policeman in a shift of station. Photo / File

Among them have been Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford, who became engaged on Mokotahi Hill, Mahia, at Easter this year. No announcements have yet been made about wedding plans, including whether or not Mahia might be the venue.

Aberahama said the police station will be operational at Mahia from mid-December and will be formally opened in mid-January 2020 by Minister of Police Stuart Nash, whose Napier electorate includes Mahia Peninsula.

He said the new station has been a work in progress over the past couple of years with the growth of Mahia's population.

The permanent population of Mahia Peninsula is about 1000, but it swells to as much as 15,000 at the peak of the Christmas-New Year holiday season, while there have also been influxes for the rocket launches which started with test flights in May 2017.

The change will better service the area, Aberahama said, adding: "Over the last 10 years, 50 per cent of demand for police in the area was in Mahia."

A blessing of the Mahia site was taking place at 8am, and the station building was expected to arrive on-site in Mahia about midday.

Nuhaka and main-highway users through the area will have access to police through a phone to be placed on the outside wall of the fire Station in Nuhaka, providing a direct link to the Police Communications Centre.