The Dunedin hospital rebuild

Almost amusing Labour feigning outrage over the Dunedin Hospital rebuild, when you look at the history of it.

In August 2017, National announced a rebuild with a projected cost of $1.2 to $1.4 billion, with it to be open between 2024 and 2027.

A week later new Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern announced they would start work on it so quickly, if elected, construction would start by 2020. This turned out to be a promise like Auckland Light Rail and Kiwibuild.

Three years later, Labour announced a preferred design in September 2020, with a decision on the business case in February 2021. Key details were 89,000 sqm (down from 105,000), the new hospital will provide approximately 421 beds (352 in current), including 30 ICU beds, and 16 theatres.

In June 2022, construction finally began – two years after Labour promised. Cost was now $1.47 billion.

In December 2022 there was a budget blowout and Labour cut one ward, two theatres and 450 workspaces.

By April 2023, the cost was $1.68 billion, and opening delayed until 2029.

By March 2024, it was $1.88 billion. In May 2024 it was reported to have reached over $2 billion and the latest estimate is it might reach $3 billion.

So not only did Labour fail to meet their own promise of starting construction by 2020, they also left the project in a state that it won’t be complete until 2029 – two to five years later than National had planned. And they oversaw cost blowouts which saw even them have to scale the rebuild back – and now they complain that the current Government isn”;”t going to write a blank cheque for it.