Cr Christine Garey’s comments come after discussion at this week’s council meeting.
"These messages and this ongoing flip-flopping is unhelpful and unsettling for the city and wider area the hospital serves," she said.
At the meeting, Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said "my expectation is that the hospital will be built" and "savings on the hospital are difficult to make" in response to recent comments from newly appointed HNZ commissioner Dr Lester Levy about the future of the project amid concerns about a skyrocketing budget.
Dr Levy has said the project could be "downscaled", if required.
"I still anticipate that the new Dunedin hospital will be delivered as promised and in line with the detailed business case, including when it comes to the number of beds, operating theatres and a PET scanner.
"That’s the commitment Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has given me, the council and the people of Dunedin, and I expect the minister will keep his promise."
Mr Radich said he expected the commissioner’s focus would be on the much larger operational expenditure across the ministry.
"The scope of the hospital project has been agreed with clinicians, as outlined in the detailed business case, and any changes at this stage would only deliver a false economy — not the sustained savings this government is seeking."
Cr Garey said the fight for the hospital was "not over yet" and while the project appeared to be "beyond the point of messing with the building design and structure", there was still the possibility that aspects such as the PET scanner might not be included.
"Dr Levy made a very ambiguous statement, which was extremely unhelpful."
Former Southern Partnership Group chairman Pete Hodgson said he imagined "all expenditure would now be under consideration" by HNZ.
"But my view is only a fully paid-up halfwit would tinker with the in-patient building. It would be a known false economy."
The Otago Daily Times asked HNZ yesterday whether there had been any discussions about making savings in the "fit-out" of the new hospital; where negotiations for the main contract on the in-patient building were up to; and whether HNZ had looked into the option of another redesign of the in-patient building.
It declined to answer.
Dr Levy was unavailable for comment.
