'Exciting vision': Health and education precinct planned for central city

The Southern District Health Board (SDHB) has unveiled a masterplan for a health and education precinct centred around the new  Dunedin Hospital.

Chief Executive Chris Fleming today unveiled the plan, called Te Whakaari, which sets out an aspirational vision for a hub of healthcare.

The DHB worked with local rūnaka, tertiary institutions and other stakeholders to develop a plan that will enhance Dunedin’s city centre, Mr Fleming said.

“The Health and Education Precinct will be a thriving hub for healthcare, learning and mahi.

"Along with our new hospital, it will offer greenspaces, additional healthcare services, and vibrant retail. Te Whakaari promotes an exciting vision for Dunedin that will support equitable healthcare and the mauri ora of our communities,” Mr Fleming says.

The hub would occupy much of the Dunedin CBD area between the current hospital and Lower Stuart St.

“Te Whakaari focuses on wellbeing, equity, sustainability, adapting to the effects of climate change, and contributing to a sense of local identity,” Mr Fleming says.

The masterplan supported the Dunedin City Council’s central city plan, with the health and education precinct providing a link between the tertiary precinct to the north and the cultural and entertainment quarter to the south.

“It will also strengthen the hospital’s existing bonds with local rūnaka, the University of Otago, and Otago Polytechnic,” Mr Fleming says.

The precinct design features three phases of development: short-term (until 2030), medium-term (until 2040) and long-term (until 2080).

The short-term plan includes the completion of the new Dunedin Hospital, a 500-car parking facility also suitable for electric vehicles and cycles, the development of an Interprofessional learning centre for student learning, and a translational research centre.

During this phase, it is hoped that developers will provide retail activity in the precinct.

The medium-term plan sees Southern Blood and Cancer Services moving south of the New Dunedin Hospital, where it could be a comprehensive standalone centre.

Additionally, the existing ‘Dairy Building’ could be repurposed as a cancer support centre and/or health rehabilitation centre.

The long-term plan allows room for the development of future services.

Spaces between buildings are set aside for a ‘green spine’ to encourage pedestrian and social activity at the heart of the precinct. The ‘green spine’ forms part of a larger ‘greenway loop,’ and works in tandem with planned upgrades to Dunedin’s retail quarter.

As the SDHB transitions to Health New Zealand, the site masterplan would help inform future infrastructure decisions for Dunedin and, more broadly, the Southern District.

“Te Whakaari is a vision and a roadmap for the stakeholders of the future."

"It will enhance Dunedin’s reputation as a centre for health, innovation and education."