The major construction phase of the Government’s multi-billion-dollar investment in health infrastructure is being marked at a ceremony in Dunedin today.
“Covering two city blocks, the new Dunedin Hospital is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in New Zealand,” Health Minister Andrew Little said.
“The previous Government starved the health system of investment when record population growth was squeezing hospitals and medical services. During nine years in Government it put just $1 billion into health infrastructure.
“In the five years we’ve been in Government, we’ve committed $6.9 billion to rebuilding infrastructure, including new hospitals for Dunedin, Nelson and Whangarei, with more to come.
“These are major projects, requiring a great deal of planning and preparation, and it is a real pleasure to be in Dunedin today to see work on the new hospital under way,” Andrew Little said.
Dunedin’s new $1.47 billion hospital is being built on the site of the old Cadbury chocolate factory. It will have 421 beds, 16 theatres and 30 high-dependency beds.
The building will meet 5 Star Green Star accreditation, with features like double-glazing and low-energy intelligent lighting systems that use natural daylight instead of artificial lighting whenever possible.
The first stage of the project, the outpatients building, is on schedule to open in 2025. The inpatient building will open in 2028.
The construction phase is expected to create the equivalent of nearly 1000 fulltime jobs and add $429 million to the local economy.
Andrew Little contributed a COVID-19 RAT test and a signed N95 mask to a time capsule that will be sealed into the new building.