Call to arms for Hospice backed by Lorck
Community action needed to get $17.2m project off ground, Labour candidate says
Labour Tukituki candidate AnnaLorck has added her voice to those urging the region to step upto help Cranford Hospice. Lorck’scommentscomeafter the Government last weekdeclined an applicationmadeby the Cranford Hospice Foundation for $17.2 million under the shovel-ready project initiative.
Lorck said Cranford Hospice needed positive action by the whole Hawke’s Bay’s community for its $17.2m bid seeking State support.
“A call to arms across our region is the bestwayto send a strong message to the decision makers that our hospice is deserving of priority funding,” she said.
“As a regional health leader, I believewemust work constructively together to help raise greater awareness of the project and the funding including Government support.
“Cranford is a cause to unite, politics aside.”
Lorck saidwhenthe regioncame together, Hawke’s Bay was better at gaining traction for support.
“Cranford touches all of us, through family, friends, colleagues and community over our lives,” she said.
“I’m confident with the right approach and a diverse range of people coming on board as part of this important projectwecan target the right areas for funding.”
The hospice’s current building near Hastings Racecourse is too small and anewone is set to be built on Fernie land on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway between Napier and Hastings.
The Cranford Hospice Trust recently applied for funding, but it wasdeclined last week.
Lorck’scommentscomeafter Tukituki NationalMPLawrence Yule said he intends to appeal the decision
to decline the funding application.
Yule said he was“shocked” the Government’s shovel-ready project initiative to stimulate theeconomy under Covid-19 had overlooked the Hawke’s Bay hospice’s application.
Aspokesperson for the ministers whooversaw the process said, of 1924 applications received, about 150 had been selected, and it had meantsome “difficult decisions” had to be made.
“Weknowthat there will be a numberof applicantswhowill be disappointed that their projects
weren’t included,” he said.
“Weunderstandhowimportant someof these projects are to their communities, but not all of them could be funded and ministers had tomakesome difficult decisions,” he said.
“Wewill continue to work to find furtherways to support economic and social infrastructure projects around the country.”
In a letter provided to Hawke’s Bay Today, Sean Wynne, deputy chief executive – housing infrastructure, laid out the reasons for declining the foundation’s application.
Wynnesaid the Governmentwas looking to support projects that could be underwaywithin 12 months, were of aminimum scale with material employment benefits and which provided national or regional public benefit.
“The value of the submitted projectswasmuchgreater than available funding for this programme of work, and so not all projects were able to be included for support.”