Labour today confirmed its support for rebuilding Buller Hospital on the existing site, and announced a $1 million fund to develop an 'export engineering hub' in Greymouth, as key planks of the party's regional development plan for the West Coast.
"Labour's vision is for a thriving regional New Zealand ... The West Coast is a beautiful and valuable part of New Zealand, but it has not been valued by the National Government. National has failed to back the West Coast as it faces a shrinking economy, rising crime, and cuts to transport and health spending," Ms Ardern said.
"Labour values the West Coast, and our plan will add value to the region and restore much needed health services."
The three-pronged economic plan is:
- Commit to the redevelopment of Buller Hospital on the existing site, with all of the funding coming from the Crown, rather than through a public-private partnership. This will cost up to $20m in capital.
- Support funding the upgrading and development of two cycle trails, with about $400,000 each for the Old Ghost Road and the West Coast Wilderness Trail.
- Develop an export engineering hub based at Greymouth. Labour will invest up to $1m, including funding a facilitator, to work with engineering businesses across the West Coast to share expertise, identify common goals, and develop supplier and marketing information.
Ms Ardern said Labour would make industrial engineering exports a key focus of the West Coast economic development action plan, announced by the Government in July.
"Labour's plan demonstrates our commitment to the West Coast, where the Labour Party itself was started in 1908, and our commitment to thriving regions around New Zealand.
The party's policy paper for the West Coast says the regions "must not become a place for ghost towns" where people have few meaningful prospects.
It commits Labour to the redevelopment of a fit-for-purpose Buller Hospital "which reflects the community it serves," and on the existing Derby Street site to ensure the development minimises disruption to the community and to medical services.
"Labour will immediately stop any further planning for site B on Packington Street -- which was selected by the National Party as the site for the new integrated Buller Family Health Centre. National's preferred site is smaller and harder to access, offering little scope for expansion or development.
"There will be no third party funding for this; the Buller Hospital will remain owned by all New Zealanders, as it should be. Building the hospital using Crown finance will save up to an estimated $1m in fees."
For the 'export engineering hub' it says it will work with the economic plan governance group and Development West Coast to work up a business case.
"This will help retain existing engineering expertise on the West Coast, especially that expertise at risk due to the decline in the local mining industry.
"This will enable Development West Coast to work with companies like Gray Brothers -- who make gold screening equipment for the rest of the world -- and Dispatch Engineering.
"Funding would be allocated to support projects such as market research, product innovation or export opportunity exploration."
