Project director now working on prebuild

THE Wellingtonbased project director of the $1.4 billion Dunedin Hospital build has moved into his new job after five years working on the Christchurch rebuild.

However, Neville Harris is only expected to remain in the position until some time next year as he gets prebuild aspects of the project in place.

Mr Harris began his new role last month.

The Otago Daily Times requested an interview with the man directing what has been described as the largest capital project in the history of the NZ health system, but that request was declined by the Ministry of Health.

Southern Partnership Group chairman Pete Hodgson said Mr Harris would be working on contracts, and the detailed business case for the hospital.

‘‘Then, in the course of 2019, he will ease himself out of the job, and other project managers will come in, and a project director as necessary.’’

Those people would have hospital build experience.

‘‘He’s been hired to do the things he’s particularly equipped to do, to manage the detailed business case and to manage the procurement of the engineers and the architects etc.’’

Once ground was broken, other skills would be needed, Mr Hodgson said.

A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said Mr Harris was a career public servant who had roles in management and supervision of regulatory framework for corporations, securities, insolvency, intellectual property rights and Crown mineral estate.

He was deputy secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development before taking on project leadership responsibilities for construction projects.

From 2007 to 2010, he was responsible for the Crown’s funding of the $240 million redevelopment of Eden Park for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

From 2009 to 2011, Mr Harris was the director of the Rugby World Cup office, responsible for the Government’s investment and support for the event.

That included $40 million of stadium upgrades, and the establishment of the Cloud on Queens Wharf in Auckland.

In 201112, he was responsible for the building of the temporary stadium in Christchurch.

From 2013 until September this year, Mr Harris was project director for the Christchurch justice and emergency services precinct project.

The precinct was a $340 million project which, at the time, was the largest commercial construction project in New Zealand.