But Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has promised "more to say shortly" about his government’s commitment to the Dunedin Hospital rebuild.
The Otago Daily Times yesterday asked Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Mr Luxon during a media conference in Wānaka if they were committed to a proposed regional hospital in Central Otago and the Dunedin Hospital rebuild.
Dr Reti said they would be "guided by the investment and infrastructure plan, which will discuss the infrastructure across the whole estate of all of New Zealand".
"That will come out at the end of the year.
"And then, after that, this region will have its more particular focused infrastructure discussion early in 2025. So, the next template for infrastructure across all of New Zealand, will be the investment and infrastructure programme announced at the end of this year," Dr Reti said.
"We have got major challenges across our health system at the moment. Our focus is on making sure we get the money out of bureaucracy to the front line.
"Our focus has been on making sure we grow our work force and making sure we have very clear targets in place, that everyone is very clear what we are shooting for. And obviously that has been our focus in the first six months [of government]," Mr Luxon said.
When pressed about a commitment to Dunedin Hospital, he said: "Again, we are working through a lot of infrastructure challenges that we have across the country and I will have more to say about that shortly."
The Wānaka public began lobbying for improved access to health services and a regional hospital in March.
That flushed out two proposals by private developers - the Gordon family’s expanded health hub next to the existing health centre on Cardrona Valley Rd and Roa Properties proposed $300 million new hospital at Three Parks.
Central Otago District Mayor Tim Cadogan and Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers have united in their support for better access to health services, based on ongoing population growth in the two neighbouring districts.
In a joint media release in May the mayors said Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago’s combined resident-only population is 79,000, similar in size to Palmerston North.
