Hospital rebuild: opportunities 'best in a lifetime'

An artist's impression of what Dunedin's new hospital could look like. Image: supplied
An artist's impression of what Dunedin's new hospital could look like. Image: supplied
Dunedin people are set to be trained to build the city's new hospital as the group co-ordinating the construction considers how to attract the more than 1000 people needed.

Local Advisory Group convenor Pete Hodgson said today there were plans to train as many local apprentices and other workers as possible before the new Dunedin Hospital construction begins in about two years.

Mr Hodgson said opportunities for young people interested in the trades, or those who wanted a career change, were the best Dunedin would see in a lifetime.

Pete Hodgson. Photo: Gerard O'Brien
Pete Hodgson. Photo: Gerard O'Brien

"The construction process will be large and long. We anticipate about 800 or 850 people working on the project for four or five years, most of whom will have a trade qualification of some sort.

"Maybe another 200 staff will be involved in ancillary work such as security services, truck driving or offsite construction.

"People could be brought in from Christchurch or the Philippines, or locals could be trained for the roles. We need to acknowledge that we will need to employ some people from out of town; the job is simply too big to avoid that.

"However, we can maximise the advantage to our own workforce, and our own communities, by planning ahead, and that planning has now begun.''

Mr Hodgon said the boom in the construction industry would not stop in 2026 when the hospital was completed.

The University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic and the Dunedin City Council would be deliberately scheduling work for the years after the hospital build.

"All this means that Dunedin's construction sector is moving from a lower level of activity historically to a somewhat higher one for the next 12 or 15 years.

"It isn't going to be a boom and bust so much as one long and drawn-out boom.''

Comments

Please don't let 'Fletcher Construction' get involved like they did in Christchurch. Undercut all the local contractors then tried to contract them in at even lowers rates. Fletcher Constructions recent history shows their inability to manage projects but very good at destroying local contractors/industry.

My father in law said the same about Fletchers in the 1940's. Worth noting.

 

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