The New Dunedin Hospital

Key Project Updates

Government agrees on preferred design for New Dunedin Hospital

The Government has agreed the preferred design for the New Dunedin Hospital.

The design option approved by Cabinet broadly aligns with the preliminary site masterplan – with Outpatients on the Wilsons block and Inpatients on the Cadbury site.

This will deliver a stronger separation of services and much needed day surgery capacity earlier than other options. It also provides linkages to the university and fits in well with the CBD landscape.

Cabinet agreed the detailed business case in principle to maintain momentum on the project and to give people certainty on the design and ongoing progress. $127 million in funding has been released to progress design, demolition, piling, project management and early contractor engagement.

The total budget for the project is expected to exceed $1.4 billion. This will be confirmed once concept design is finished and costings can be finalised. The final details of the business case are expected go to Cabinet for approval by February 2021.

The new Dunedin Hospital, the biggest ever hospital build in New Zealand, will have improved clinical capacity, more integrated services to support new models of care, and better use of digital technology.

Key facts:

• At around 89,000 sqm, the new hospital will provide approximately 411 beds, including 30 ICU beds, and 20 theatres with shell space for additional theatres.
• The new facilities will be designed for flexibility and future expansion. The project will aim to achieve a five Green Star sustainability rating.
• Outpatients (at almost 15,000 sqm) is due to be complete by early 2025, with Inpatients (at around 73,500 sqm) due to be finished in the first quarter of 2028. There will be a link bridge joining the buildings.
• Implementation Business Cases for each building - Outpatients in mid-2021 and Inpatients by the end of 2021 - will be considered by joint Ministers of Health and Finance, prior to confirming the main contractor for each building.