Local companies in mix for hospital rebuild

Pete Hodgson. Photo: ODT files
Pete Hodgson. Photo: ODT files

Local construction companies are confident they are in the running for work from the Dunedin Hospital project after the Ministry of Health's first ''market sounding'' meetings yesterday.

Officials held two sessions in Dunedin for 70 people representing 40 businesses.

The first was for larger contractors from across New Zealand, while the second was for subcontractors, most of whom were from Dunedin or the South Island.

The meetings were designed to assess how many firms were interested in being involved in the $1.4 billion project and whether those firms had the capabilities required, Southern Partnership Group chairman Pete Hodgson said.

A further meeting is scheduled in Sydney on Friday.

The enthusiastic turnout at yesterday's meetings left Mr Hodgson confident promises local workers would find jobs on the rebuild would be met.

''I have always said that the main contract may well go outside New Zealand. It's not clear how the main hospital could be built by a New Zealand contractor unless somehow a consortium came together, and that might happen.

''But I can see a role for local companies, that being Dunedin companies and Otago-Southland companies.

''But it needs to be stressed, this has no bearing on who gets and doesn't get contracts.

''This is market sounding, where we try and understand what the market thinks about the project.''

All contractors involved with the hospital project will be required to operate out of either a Dunedin or Christchurch office.

Foleys Construction general manager Bruce Muldrew said he appreciated the intention of the meeting - to ensure maximum participation by local companies.

''The prospect of a significant amount of work coming into the Otago region is very pleasing to see, although there are always questions around timelines and things,'' Mr Muldrew said.

Naylor Love Dunedin director Jason Tutty said the meeting was a good start, and officials had shown a desire to engage and work collaboratively.

''I am confident there will be a role or multiple roles for local contractors, certainly for the smaller of the two buildings,'' he said.

Mr Hodgson said all participants were given a questionnaire to detail their skills and desired level of involvement.

The Ministry of Health would follow those up with one-on-one interviews.

Mr Hodgson expected 950 people would be working on the decade-long project during its four-to-five-year-long peak period.

''I would think several hundred of those would come from out of town, but I also think several hundred will come from people who live in the region but are currently not in the sector.''

Increasing the homegrown workforce was important as several other construction projects would likely begin in Dunedin after the hospital was finished, Mr Hodgson said.

An analysis of local capital construction projects for the next 15 years, funded by the Government's provincial growth fund, was due to begin soon and be completed by January, he said.

The first hospital contracts would not be let until after Cabinet had signed off on a detailed business plan, likely to be in February or March next year.

Comments

Spades in the ground in their first year of governing aye?
Seems 36 odd percent of voters are gullible and easily bought by false promises and lies (just like the no new taxes- fuel, ev's, tourist tax etc) and let's not forget kiwifail

Mp seats, get your mp seats here only 100k.

 

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