'Trust us': Luxon says Dunedin's new hospital will be future proofed if National wins the election

Tuesday, 31 January 2023

National Party leader Christopher Luxon gave an assurance that Dunedin's new hospital would be future-proofed when he spoke at the Gore Town & Country Club on Friday.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon says Dunedin’s new hospital will be future proofed if his party wins this year’s election, and it was well aware that Southland Hospital was too small for what was needed in the province.

Speaking at a public meeting in Gore on Friday, Luxon said southern MP’s Michael Woodhouse, Penny Simmons and Joseph Mooney had all raised the issue of proposed cuts to the build of the city’s new hospital with him.

The move comes after concerns over proposed designed changes to the $1.4 billion project because of ballooning costs.

“Now lets be clear, Dunedin Hospital, started under a National Government, mucked around under a Labour Government for the last six years, construction costs have gone through the roof, and would have been better to have got it started it and built it to what we actually need,’’ Luxon said in response to a question from the audience.

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The site of the new Dunedin Hospital rebuild in Dunedin.

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Health Minister Andrew Little speaks to media about the $1.4 billion Dunedin Hospital redevelopment. (First published June 2022)

“Trust us, I don’t know any of the details on how they [Labour] have done their business case or what has changed and I need to dive into that, but we will make sure that in a growing area like Southland and Otago, that we will give it the support that is needed.’’

Luxon said he was also aware that Southland Hospital was too small.

“That is a classic case of a hospital built in 2004, way too small for what its needs were, and so the danger is that if you don’t future-proof the asset and make the investment for what you will need in the future.’’

The new Dunedin hospital has been four years in the planning but last year those involved with the project were told to trim $100m from its budget while preserving as much as the design and clinical capacity as possible within a ‘’reduced footprint’’, a report from Te Whatu Ora Southern revealed.

Proposed cuts include reducing the number of beds in the inpatients building from 410 to 398, reducing operating theatres from 28 to 26, and reducing MRI scanners to two.

In December, it was announced the project budget had been increased by $110 million – after some $90m of savings were identified.

Last week, former Labour Party MP and current Dunedin City councillor David Benson-Pope filed a notice of motion asking the council to fund $130,400 for a public campaign to support the project.

Early in January mayors and regional leaders from throughout Otago and Southland called for an urgent meeting with Health Minister Andrew Little on the funding cuts announced for the hospital.

A spokesperson from Little’s office said the mayors wrote a letter to former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister Little has subsequently picked it up.

He has asked locally based Parliamentary Private Secretary Liz Craig to work with local mayors on a day and time that suits.

“We understand their preference is to come to Wellington when parliament is sitting,’’ the spokesperson said.