Demolition work for the New Dunedin Hospital project was put on hold during Covid-19 lockdown, but as soon as Alert Level 3 arrived, work ramped back up, and continues as the former Cadbury distribution warehouse is brought down.
Over the course of just two weeks, the warehouse, which sits between Castle, Cumberland and St Andrews Streets, will be entirely demolished.
Demolition contractors Ceres NZ developed a detailed COVID-19 Management Plan under Level 3, and put strict measures in place to ensure all work can be carried out safely, with workers maintaining safe physical distancing, and with hand hygiene stations set up.
Careful traffic planning has also ensured that motorists and cyclists will not be impacted throughout this process, which has been important as the city comes back to life under Alert Level 2.
Mike Barns, New Dunedin Hospital Programme Director, is confident that any delay caused by COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown, will not be significant.
“We were just starting demolition prior to the lockdown, and the demolition involves quite a lot of preparatory work, so getting that done while we were in lockdown was actually quite fortuitous.”
“We’ve got quite a bit of time up our sleeves for the rest of the demolition process so we have the best opportunity to do it safely, do it well, and work with the city to make sure we’re considerate in that work.”
The Cadbury block will eventually be the site of the New Dunedin Hospital’s planned inpatient building. The fast-tracked outpatient building will be built on the Wilson’s carpark block, directly north of the former Cadbury distribution warehouse. Demolition of the Wilson’s block is set to follow the stripping of materials from the rest of the Cadbury site, subject to resource consents.
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Better Health South - Board Update May 2020
