Cr Steve Walker said yesterday the National-led government had no option but to provide funding needed to complete the project as promised, following Thursday’s revelation more funding was needed.
Health Minister Shane Reti has been reticent on the issue, and did not answer ODT questions earlier this week including how much additional funding was needed.
There were always going to be cost overruns on a huge infrastructure project of this type, Cr Walker said.
The government needed to "stop ghosting Dunedin" and be open and upfront about what it was going to do.
Last July, National pledged to give the hospital a $30 million boost so it would open with beds, operating theatres and a scanner cut from the build under the Labour government.
"If I was mayor of Dunedin, I'd be on a plane to Wellington kicking down Dr Reti's door demanding answers."
Mayor Jules Radich dismissed this as "posturing" — he did not think the government would respond well to such an approach.
He expected the funding boost would go ahead as promised, and it was alarmist to demand reassurances that this was the case.
Interactions he had with people in government spoke of this as a given.
He was not concerned that Dr Reti had yet to make an appearance in Dunedin following last year’s election.
Cr David Benson-Pope said the whole community was sure to be concerned to hear of further cost overruns in the hospital build, which had already been compromised by earlier cuts and costs of redesign.
"Extra funding is clearly needed, as is a commitment by National to deliver on the undertakings made at election time.
"If those commitments are not immediately forthcoming, then I think the council will need to revisit its action plan on the issue."
The council and community should also be seriously concerned about the absence of information about the stand alone pathology building, greenlit under Labour last year.
"Dr Reti and his colleagues need to face up to the undertakings they have given, and ensure that there are no delays in the delivery of these projects, so important for the welfare of the whole community in the South."
The councillor’s concerns follow Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand briefing on health infrastructure released earlier this week.
Costs on the $1.59billion project had ballooned again, a briefing to Dr Reti last December said.
Completion of the inpatient building in 2029 as planned relied on "additional funding being made available to cover known cost pressures".
"To keep NDH on programme with the current scope and estimated budget, a decision as to additional funding needs to be made in a timely fashion to avoid delays," the briefing said.
The new estimate for how much the project was expected to cost was redacted.
The briefing also pointed to other costs such as parking and the refurbishment of the old hospital buildings, which had not been factored in to date.
Figures for these were also redacted.
The new Dunedin hospital design was cut by $90 million under the Labour government in December 2022.
Alongside a funding boost, it was the response to a $200m budget blowout.
However many changes were reversed last year.
Dr Reti has previously said Dunedin hospital remained a priority, but has provided little detail despite questioning by the ODT.
Dunedin Labour MP Rachel Brooking said yesterday it was not acceptable to make people wait seven months for the new budget.
It was "vital" the project was properly funded, and she was concerned delivery was at risk due to tax cuts being prioritised.
Taieri Labour MP Ingrid Leary said an assurance was needed that the funding was forthcoming and the build would remain public, not revert to a private-public partnership.
The council should be putting more pressure on the government, and demand an explanation why Dr Reti had yet to visit.
