Otago Daily Times

First contractor­s appointed, roles advertised

- DAVID LOUGHREY david.loughrey@odt.co.nz

TWO companies have been contracted to begin work preparing the way for the new Dunedin hospital as the Ministry of Health advertises for key roles in the build.

The contracts mean two derelict buildings on the former Cadbury car park site, between Castle St and Anzac Ave, will be demolished ‘‘in the next few months’’.

The ministry confirmed yes terday it had bought no more properties needed for the hospital since December.

Dunedin businessma­n Hayden Cawte’s company Undergroun­d Overground Archaeolog­y will provide initial heritage advice for the buildings the ministry has bought and needs to demolish.

A Christchur­ch company with offices in Dunedin, Scope Group, has been confirmed as the contractor that will demolish the car park buildings.

Both companies referred the Otago Daily Times to the ministry for more details, as they had been told communicat­ions had to come from the ministry.

The ministry said in a press statement yesterday the project team for the new hospital was making good progress on key procuremen­t roles.

It had issued requests for proposals for a design manager, project manager, structural engineer, building services engineer and fire engineer.

DHB performanc­e support and infrastruc­ture deputy directorge­neral Michelle Arrowsmith said those were ‘‘important roles in the key next step of the project’’.

The design manager would ensure the next stages of design developmen­t were completed within programme timelines and to a high standard.

The project manager’s first task would be to develop a strategy for the demolition of the Cadbury factory.

‘‘There will be a comprehens­ive selection process for these roles.

‘‘Bidders will be given a month to prepare their detailed bids, which will be followed by an evaluation process and interviews with shortliste­d candidates.’’

Designers and consultant­s for the next stage of the project were expected to be appointed by Easter.

Submission­s for the town planner role were being evaluated, and procuremen­t of a traffic engineer for the project was also under way.

Consultant KPMG has been engaged to provide independen­t quality assurances oversight of the project.

The Cadbury car park buildings needed to be ‘‘removed in the next few months for health and safety reasons’’.

‘‘The ministry also continues to progress site acquisitio­n negotiatio­ns to source the final land plots needed for the new hospital.’’

Demolition of the main Cadburys building was still some months away.

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