Dunedin Hospital rebuild 'top priority' for Government, new health minister says

Jake Kenny Reporter from Community News

Dunedin's new hospital will “transform” healthcare in region and improve health outcomes for all Kiwis, New Zealand's new health minister says.

The comment came as Andrew Little confirmed a new governance model for the project, which has an estimated price-tag of $1.4 billion.

The concept design for the new hospital is expected to be approved next week, and contractors will be asked to tender early interest in working on the project.

“The new Dunedin Hospital is a top priority for the Government,” Little said.

Construction of the hospital will be split into three phases, with preliminary design work under way now.

Work to demolish the former Cadbury site continues. That block will become a new inpatient facility, to be completed by 2028, and the former Wilson car parking site will become the outpatients' facility, to be completed by early 2025.

In September, then-Health Minister Chris Hipkins announced $127 million had been released for the project to assist with design, demolition, piling and project management.