But a year later there was a major backtrack; talk of the old Cadbury’s site being unsuitable; a need for hospitals in other places; and the preposterous proposal of retrofitting the current concrete cancer-ridden building.
Dunedin made its voice heard with a 35,000-person protest. And now National has seen some sense and agreed to the inpatient building on the old Cadbury site.
After promising to build bigger and better than Labour, we’re going to end up with much less.
Health Minister Simeon Brown even confirmed that when the hospital opens (currently planned for 2031), it will have fewer beds than the current outdated Dunedin hospital.
The current hospital has 367 beds. The new hospital will have just 351 upon opening. This is despite this date being more than a decade after a detailed business case showed the expected growth for the Southern region. There will also be two fewer theatres than what Labour promised.
I want to thank everyone who campaigned as part of the Save our Southern Hospital campaign, because if it wasn’t for the efforts of our community, the outcome would have been much worse.
We can’t stop now though, and we must push the government for more detail.
We still don’t know any of the contracting details and whether or not the build will involve any kind of public-private partnership deal. Privatisation is a risk. Labour will continue to advocate for what we promised in 2023.
• On a different issue, I, along with every other MP in Aotearoa, am looking for my next Youth MP.
If you’re from Dunedin, aged between 16 and 18 and passionate about the environment, interested in law making and funding of public services, or just want to have your voice heard on a specific issue, then please apply to be my Youth MP. Send me a CV and cover letter by Friday, February 28, to Rachel.BrookingMP@parliament.govt.nz
