Queenstowners back hospital build
Queenstowners surveyed are overwhelmingly in support of continuing to build the new Dunedin Hospital, even if the budget blows out to $3 billion.
A fortnight ago, Health Minister Shane Reti and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop sent shock waves through the lower South Island when they announced a u-turn on the hospital project.
A report found it could likely not be delivered for its $1.88b budget, and it would need to be scaled back, or completed in stages, or costs could spiral to $3b.
The announcement sparked protests in Dunedin, where more than 35,000 people marched, and also in Wānaka, where hundreds took to the streets. Dunedin is the main base hospital for Queenstown Lakes residents and everyone else in the lower South.
Lakes Weekly Bulletin runs a fortnightly survey on hot topics for Queenstown Lakes and New Zealanders, and last week we focused on the hospital project.
Some 412 people responded, with 68% from Queenstown, 12% from Central Otago, and around 5% from Upper Clutha / Wānaka, Southland, and Dunedin each.
Almost two thirds of people, 62.68%, ticked the box that the Coalition Government should 'Continue building the new Dunedin hospital as planned - knowing that it is likely to cost $1.8b or even up to $3b (when pathology lab, carparking etc is included)'.
Some 13.9% were in favour of instead using the money to improve health services in the regions, ticking 'Don't spend more on Dunedin hospital and instead redirect more funding into improving and expanding community hospital services in the south'.
The third most popular option, with 10.98%, was to 'Forge ahead with a scaled back new build to keep within the original budget', while 6.83% want to 'Opt for a staged redevelopment and refurbishment of the existing hospital'. The remaining 5.61% either had no opinion or were unsure what the best option was.
But Bishop says there's no chance the Government will spend $3b.
“This cost simply cannot be justified when hospitals around New Zealand are crying out for maintenance, upgrades and new facilities," he says "Dr Reti and I are concerned that badly needed infrastructure upgrades to Whangarei, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North and Tauranga hospitals may be put at risk if New Dunedin continues to go so far over budget."
What is the original budget and the possible final budget is the subject of some debate. The project's 2017 estimate was $1.2b-$1.4b and, while it is now $1.88b, Dunedin mayor Jules Radich told RNZ the Government's $3b figure was an exaggeration.
"They've included in that things like carparking and pathology and other services that were never in this scope and were taken out of the scope two years ago," he says.
Still, Prime Minister Christoper Luxon's contention that the hospital would be "without doubt, the most expensive hospital in the history of the southern hemisphere", is backed by Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett.
The Government is considering two options:
- Revision of the project’s specification and scope within the existing structural envelope, such as reducing the number of floors, delaying the fit-out of some areas until they’re needed, and/or identifying further services that can be retained on the existing hospital site or in other Health NZ buildings within Dunedin among other possible solutions.
- A staged development on the old hospital site including a new clinical services building and refurbishing the existing ward tower.
Officials will deliver this advice in the coming weeks.
Queenstown's mayor Glyn Lewers, meanwhile, following a zoom meeting with Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora says he's confident the hospital will be built to a decent standard. "They made it very clear there is a clinical bottom line they are not going under," he tells the Wānaka App. He says one of the drawbacks of the hospital project was the lack of regional data feeding into decisions, leading to a "very Dunedin-centric view of the world".
