Tauranga Hospital's chimney demolished

Tauranga Hospital's tallest structure is no more after it was demolished over the weekend.

The boiler chimney was the hospital's original chimney used for a coal-fired boiler.

It was more recently used as an exhaust pipe for the back-up power generator, said general manager of property services Jeff Hodson.

"The reason that the chimney is being removed is that the generator exhaust pipe and the cooling system now need to be replaced and modified respectively,'' Mr Hodson said.

"While the work is being undertaken a rental generator has been connected to the hospital electrical system so there is no potential for operational impact.''

Work began on the chimney on Saturday.

Engineers from Page Macrae were hoisted up to the chimney via cranes as they worked to dismantle the structure.