Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ
Stand up and keep up the new hospital fight
The government has announced Dunedin hospital will be rebuilt with clinical cutbacks, including a material reduction in bed numbers, and fewer theatres than were part of the clinically-reviewed final design.
Minister [Simeon] Brown's assertion the build will be "future-proofed" is feeble.
The government is just passing the costs and challenges, which will only grow, on to future governments and leaving the Otago region with no assurance it will ever see the hospital that was clinically scoped as the minimum viable for the region.
It is odd, then, to see our mayor and local MP Ingrid Leary saying this is a "win".
As I understand it, the announcement was exactly what the SOS Hospital campaign has been fighting against, clinical cuts.
I get the feeling our local leaders, united in their use of the term "win", are straining to persuade the population that the campaign has been fruitful.
Problem is, it hasn't been, and we need our leaders to stand with and for us in pushing the government to deliver what was promised and what is required for our region's health.
Bridget Fenton
Macandrew Bay
Honouring promises
THE government has now said that the new Dunedin hospital inpatient building will be built on the old Cadbury site, but scaled down to meet the budget.
This was always going to be the case, but the politics involved to delay the announcement was a victory, in a sense, for both the government and for the people of the South.
In June 2024, Dr Shane Reti said that National would deliver everything promised, such as beds, operating theatres and the PET scanner. Now less beds, less operating theatres and of course no scanner.
Chris Hipkins, on the other hand, had said in December 2024 that if Labour was elected in 2026 they would build the new Dunedin hospital to its pre-election campaigning specifications.
Simeon Brown, the new Minister of Health, has said that the building will be under way mid 2025 with an opening in 2031.
Labour could hold the purse strings in two years' time so we would expect them to honour the promise that Chris
Hipkins has made, as the build will still be in its early stages and easily changed.
Ross Davidson
Dunedin
Fundraising drive?
We campaigned hard for the new hospital.
It is now confirmed what we will get. Is the government now expecting the people of the Southern region to fundraise for the PET scanner?
Jane Nimmo
Wānaka
Have a hmmm
Let me get the straight. The government, reluctantly, belatedly, with bed reductions, keeps its promise to build Dunedin hospital and now wants to be thanked for "listening"? Hmmm.
Camilla Cox
Opoho
Applause please
As a Christchurch resident I was astounded to see people from Dunedin, still protesting after the announcement by Minister Simeon Brown, that the new Dunedin hospital will go ahead.
Locals should be throwing their hats in the air and welcoming the initiative with open arms knowing that a start is imminent.
If the previous administration had managed their funding with more respect, then marching and protests would not have been necessary.
With government accounts low on funding anything, the region should be applauding, not criticising.
Gary Blair
Christchurch
Meaningful debate on future tourism needed
Re the letter from Frances Anderson (ODT 28.1.25) and your editorial the following day.
It is essential there is meaningful debate on tourism rather than the Trumpian pronouncements of growth to save us.
Your readers may recall discussion when Covid hit that it was an opportunity to re-set New Zealand's approach to tourism.
The pressures on places such as Queenstown, Rotorua and the Bay of Islands was distracting from the experience of visitors, both domestic and international.
Too many people and vehicles are not the uncrowded New Zealand many visitors want to experience.
The re-set has been forgotten.
Implied at the time was lowering the peak numbers of visitors and improved infrastructure, in the broadest sense.
More visitors spread geographically and seasonally would benefit all.
The pressure on government to provide enough Department of Conservation resources and border management was also part of the discussion.
We need to protect what we now offer for future generations and visitors.
The present government is lauding the value of increasing tourism, but this must be based on good research and then investment in the places under greatest pressure.
Tourism is best served by us providing a quality experience not attempting to make the same mistakes of other countries with mindless growth.
We already have a visitor levy, so funding is available for judicious application adding to our reputation for stunning beauty, incredible cuisine and engaging people with a fascinating culture and history.
Phil Dowsett
Kew
Parliamentary jibes slammed as repugnant
The repugnant outbursts by Shane Jones and Winston Peters in Parliament for Mexicans to go home and for them to be grateful (for whatever) are propaganda.
These politicians treat other humans/nationalities/races as inferior due to some perceived imperfections (here: where they are born), while suppressing or denying the truth that is staring into all our faces: both Winston Peters
as well as Shane Jones have a migration background, like most or all New Zealanders.
Both have one of their parents coming from a country outside of New Zealand.
They are therefore no different from Ricardo Menendez, except for their ideology.
Juergen Gnoth
Waitati
Doggy handbags
The Green Party has accused Winston Peters and Shane Jones of launching attacks on Green MPs.
The party has demanded that Chris Luxon condemn the "racist, xenophobic attacks" (ODT 30.1.25).
In my view Mr Luxon is the handbag doggy that New Zealand First (and Act New Zealand) furiously wag.
He seems to be particularly frightened of Peters, so he will do nothing, apart from waffling on about "all MPs needing to watch their rhetoric".
All MPs? Not a word about Shane Jones' or Peters' abhorrent attack?
The coalition, beset with a complete lack of vision, talent and ethics, will continue copying Donald Trump and his bigotry, loathing of immigrants, and lust for wealth. Sadly, that's the best we will get until we ditch it.
Ewan McDougall
Broad Bay
Investment strategy
Re Winston Peters' and Shane Jones' derogatory comments in Parliament towards immigrant MPs, is this the way the government plans to attract high-end tourists, skilled overseas workers, and foreign investment?
Mike Palin
Belleknowes
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
