New Dunedin Hospital takes shape as steel goes up

The New Dunedin Hospital’s inpatient building is rising from its foundations, with the first vertical structural steel being installed today, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“One of the first things I did as Health Minister was give the people of Dunedin certainty that this Government would build their new hospital on the former Cadbury site,” Mr Brown says.

"After years of talk, we signed the contract last year, construction got under way, and now the building itself is going up.

"From today, steel columns and beams will rise from the precision-engineered foundations as the inpatient building begins to take shape.

"This is the most significant milestone yet, marking clear, tangible progress on a major investment in the health of the Southern region and taking the new hospital from a plan on paper to a building the community can see."

“The result will be an 11-level facility designed around patient needs, supporting better clinical outcomes, improved patient flow, and a more comfortable environment for recovery.”

The installation of structural steel follows the completion of major site works on the former Cadbury site by lead contractor CPB Contractors, clearing the way for vertical construction to begin.

Fabrication has been under way across Auckland and Christchurch, where New Zealand companies have been producing the complex structural components required for the build.

More than 15,200 key pieces of steel will be erected over the course of construction, with around 11,000 tonnes transported to the site by road and sea freight in about 550 truck loads. An estimated 330,000 hours of work will go into fabricating the steel.

"It's fantastic to see New Zealand workers and businesses playing a central role in delivering this major piece of health infrastructure.

"It highlights the capability, expertise, and innovation within our construction and manufacturing sectors.

"As construction progresses, the project will support jobs and economic activity both regionally and nationwide through local supply chains, with benefits being felt well beyond Dunedin."

Practical completion of the inpatient building is scheduled for late 2030, with the hospital expected to start receiving patients in 2031. 

"For generations to come, patients across Dunedin and the wider Otago and Southland regions will be cared for in this hospital. This Government made a commitment to build it, and today that commitment is taking shape in steel." ...