Figures provided to the ODT under the Official Information Act show of the $1.88 billion set aside for the inpatient building and outpatient building, more than $449 million had been spent by December last year.
Of the money already spent, $178m went towards the outpatient building. To complete that building another $163.5m is planned to be spent, leaving at most $1.27b for the main inpatient building.
Former Dunedin Hospital emergency department head Dr John Chambers said the situation was ‘‘farcical’’ and he strongly doubted the ability for the project to be kept within the $1.88b budget.
‘‘The recent announcement [in late January] was sort of nonsense.
‘‘They say things are going to proceed, but nothing is actually happening [at the inpatient building site].’’
He did not believe the inpatient building would be completed by the new date set earlier this year of 2029.
‘‘That’s a worry, because the existing Dunedin Hospital is simply inefficient.
‘‘If nothing else, I hope the government have thought about the workforce, so that when this hospital does open up, we actually have the staff.’’
Former Labour health minister Pete Hodgson, who led the early stages of the project, said while it appeared the outpatient building was on track, he was less confident about the inpatient building.
‘‘The inpatient building remains in the doldrums. Nothing is happening on site.
‘‘It is six months since ministers rode into town and caused the project to stop. Since then we have gained clarity on what will be built, but no clarity on how it will be built.
‘‘There is no programme manager. There is no main contract signed. Officials are loyally writing papers to say that the overall $1.88b budget will be met.
‘‘That becomes less believable as each month of inaction comes and goes.’’
The government spent several months last year deliberating over whether to upgrade the existing Dunedin Hospital, or pursue a downscaled version of the original project at the former Cadbury’s site.
In January, it committed to building a new hospital to a budget of $1.88b, but the ODT understands it is still in contract negotiations with the lead contractor on the inpatient building project and work on it is expected to restart in June.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora head of infrastructure delivery Blake Lepper said yesterday the budget for the outpatient building remained ‘‘on track’’ and it was ‘‘on target’’ for its completion next year.
‘‘We are not yet at the stage where we can release any updated building designs for the inpatient building.
‘‘However, we can confirm the proposed design includes 24 interventional and operating theatres, with two of these earmarked for future fit-out.
‘‘Commercial negotiations for the new Dunedin hospital inpatient building are ongoing.’’
The documents revealed the $449m already spent on the project included about $99m on the inpatient building, and $120m on site-wide activity, which included land purchases, consultancy fees and procurement costs.
The figures, however, did not mention the costs for new carparks, transitioning from the old hospital to the new hospital, and a new pathology building. matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz
