Hospital still being built, Clark says

THE turmoil caused by the Covid19 pandemic will delay but not deter the Government from building a new Dunedin Hospital, Health Minister David Clark says.

Progress on the $1.4 billion project, estimated to be the largest hospital build in New Zealand history, had slowed before Covid19 as questions concerning the size of the hospital and what services it would provide remained unresolved.

The hospital’s site master plan, due for Cabinet consideration last month, had already been delayed and is unlikely to receive immediate attention once it is signed off due to the ongoing health emergency.

However, there was no question of the hospital project not going ahead, Dr Clark, in whose electorate the hospital stands, said.

‘‘The Government’s commitment to the new Dunedin Hospital is rock solid,’’ he said.

‘‘The lockdown will disrupt the demolition in the short term but the design team is continuing their work and I want to avoid any substantial delay in progressing the project.’’

The new hospital was originally envisaged as an eight or ninestorey main inpatient building with a smaller sixstorey outpatient and day surgery building alongside.

However, the final details of the buildings remain up in the air after the discovery that ground conditions meant piling and foundation work would be considerably more expensive.

Dr Clark did not comment about what the project’s master plan would or should contain, but did emphasise building work such as the new hospital would be key undertakings in the coming months.

‘‘The Government has been very clear that large infrastructure projects like the new hospital are an important part of our postpandemic recovery.