A report on governance options for Queenstown's hospital is still being considered by the Ministry of Health - nearly a year after it was completed.
The Otago Daily Times complained to the Ombudsman this week about the Ministry's repeated refusals to provide it with a copy or even provide a timeframe for its public release.
Australasian consultants Sapere Research Group won a tender early last year to advise how Lakes District Hospital might be run by a local trust instead of the Southern District Health Board.
Sapere conducted interviews with "key local stakeholders'' and gathered information in May and June last year.
The ODT has repeatedly asked to see the document, including a request under the Official Information Act last November.
That request was refused by then National Health Board acting director Michael Hundleby, who wrote that he was withholding the report to "maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions'' between officials and other parties.
The ministry has consistently declined to provide a timeframe for when the report might be made public.
A query from the ODT last week about the report's progress drew a response, also attributed to Mr Hundleby, stating it was under "active consideration'' and "no update on timings'' could be provided.
In 2014, the health board confirmed it was walking away from a planned hospital redevelopment in Queenstown because of the cost.
