A fighting fund of up to $130,400 could be approved next week, putting the Government on notice the city will not accept a facility perceived to be barely adequate or compromised by design changes.
A notice of motion brought by Cr David Benson-Pope, and seconded by Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich, ahead of next week’s council meeting asks the council to fund a public campaign up to $130,400 and to seek funding from other sources.
This would be to support the new Dunedin Hospital being built to the specifications in the final detailed business case approved by the Cabinet.
It would also make clear the council "will not accept changes that reduce the long-term capacity of the new Dunedin Hospital, or that compromise in any way the clinical services available to residents of the city and the wider region".
If the motion is approved, the council will seek the commitment of all parties in Parliament to adequately fund the hospital project and engage with stakeholders to support this advocacy position.
Cr Benson-Pope said the motion was aimed at showing "we’re prepared to fund a campaign to ensure the Government sticks with the detailed business case".
The council would not need to take such action if the Government was set to deliver what it had said it would do.
Construction of the hospital in the central city has been under budgetary pressure.
Facing increased costs, the Government boosted the project budget by $110million late last year and curbed further spending with $90million of design savings.
There would be 398 beds upon opening the inpatients building, rather than 410, but space would be set aside for 12 more.
The number of operating theatres would be cut from 28 to 26, but space would be allowed for two more.
The hospital would have two MRI scanners instead of three, but space would be set aside for an additional MRI. A PET CT scanner would be installed later.
The inpatients building is now not due to start operating until 2029, a year later than had been planned.
Health Minister Andrew Little, supported by Dunedin MP Dr David Clark and Taieri MP Ingrid Leary, said "there are no cuts" to the new hospital, emphasising increased capacity compared with the city’s existing hospital.
Dr Clark said capacity increases were in some cases significant, such as boosting the number of operating theatres from 16 to 26.
However, a non-clinical pavilion building will not go ahead as planned.
A link bridge between the inpatient and outpatient buildings has been dropped from plans.
Cr Benson-Pope said cuts to staff spaces and facilities were "more than irritating".
They amounted to attacks on staff working conditions.
National list MP Michael Woodhouse said loyalty to the Labour Party should not get in the way of Ms Leary and Dr Clark advocating for "the hospital that was promised".
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Southern (HNZS) warned in September cuts to the size or scope of the hospital might harm the reputation of the project.
"It will be perceived as a ‘broken promise’ if less is delivered than was approved in the detailed business case," its report read.
HNZS pointed out it had taken four years of careful planning to achieve the previous design.
"Undoing this in as many months carries significant reputational, operational and clinical risk."
The Southern leadership team’s guidance was "any scope reduction of any form is ill-advised".
