The major construction phase of the New Zealand Government’s multi-billion-dollar investment in health infrastructure was marked at a recent ceremony in Dunedin.
“Covering two city blocks, the new Dunedin Hospital is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in New Zealand,” said Health Minister Andrew Little. “In the [past] five years, we’ve committed NZ$6.9 billion to rebuilding infrastructure, including new hospitals for Dunedin, Nelson and Whangarei, with more to come.
Dunedin’s new $1.47 billion hospital, built on the site of the old Cadbury chocolate factory, will have 421 beds, 16 theatres and 30 high-dependency beds.
The building will meet 5 Star Green Star accreditation, with features like low-energy intelligent lighting systems that use natural daylight instead of artificial lighting whenever possible.
The first stage of the project, the outpatients building, is on schedule to open in 2025. The inpatient building will open in 2028.
The construction phase is expected to create the equivalent of nearly 1000 fulltime jobs and add $429 million to the local economy.