Te Korowai Expansion, Rimutaka Prison

The Department of Corrections is expanding transitional accommodation at Te Korowai under the Housing on Corrections Land programme. The site sits within the grounds of Rimutaka Prison, a working facility in Upper Hutt.

Work is split into two separable portions. The first converts the former staff training college, 340 square metres, into a shared staff and residents' communal area. The second demolishes the existing recreational hall, including asbestos removal, and builds four accessible accommodation units, a communal laundry and 209 square metres of storage, alongside site utility upgrades coordinated with the Department's facilities contractor.

Sequencing keeps the facility operating throughout, with the new communal space handed over before the existing hall comes down. The site runs under audited security requirements covering personnel clearance, controlled gate access, resident interaction limits, vehicle and machinery controls, and restrictions on phones and photography. The first portion was handed over in May 2026. The second is due for completion in July 2027.