Yesterday’s announcement of the government’s plans for Dunedin’s new hospital feels to us as if it falls a touch more on the positive side of the ledger than the negative.
However, as it still fails to live up to the government’s election promises for the facility, understandably there remains a lingering feeling of disenchantment.
The good news is work is not too many months off starting again on the hospital, and the inpatients building will not lose a floor, as had been proposed earlier. That is a direct consequence of southerners letting the government know, in no uncertain terms, their feelings about the hiatus forced on the project several months ago.
The less good news is the new hospital will still not be what was originally pledged for the South. There is some dispute about numbers, but beds are missing. That is disappointing and will be a cause for annoyance among some.
The Labour government had promised there would be 398 beds; however, Mr Brown said yesterday there would only be 351 beds when it opened, with capacity to expand to 404 beds.
The government is sticking to the $1.88 billion budget it set in September. Interestingly and unsurprisingly, no more clarity has been given for the $3b blowout figure it seemed to conjure up out of thin air then to justify the cuts — as if such a will-o’-the-wisp were ever going to be nailed down.
Ministers come and ministers go, as do governments. Your campaigning on this issue has helped remind the coalition of that fact of life, that there are risks to its continuing existence of angering, in this case, pretty much the entire southern half of the South Island.
The Otago Daily Times also backed the campaign to build the hospital as promised, and will continue its close scrutiny of the project to ensure the people of the South receive the hospital they deserve.
The contrast between yesterday and last year is vivid. Two ministers — Shane Reti and Chris Bishop — touched down in September on a lightning raid armed with bad news about the project and its costs. That was the catalysis for a campaign of action through which tens of thousands of southerners expressed their anger at shabby treatment by the government.
Yesterday, it was a different minister heading south after the four months of inaction on the project his predecessors kicked off. For many that interruption will forever be symbolised by the large area of empty inner-city land punctuated by building piles where the new inpatients’ building was planned for construction.
This time the government’s emissary came with a piece of paper in his hand which was far less blunt and authoritarian, far better thought out, thanks to the vocal feedback from the South.
In just over 15 minutes, looking a little uncomfortable at times, Mr Brown delivered his news and largely appeared to stick to his key messages. Several times he asserted the government had listened to the South, and recognised its need for a new facility and need for certainty.
For those who might have felt this North Island-centric government had treated southerners as largely irrelevant, Mr Brown made the point "this region is critical to the country and this government".
He also largely managed to keep blatant politicking out of things, only once blaming many of the delays on the six years of the previous Labour government.
This is a "like it or lump it" kind of solution, the least worst-case scenario available. Thank goodness the crazy proposal to refurbish the existing hospital to save money is now dead and buried.
Yes, the outcome is not perfect. But, pragmatically, it’s the best we are going to get. We need to recognise there are hospital rebuilds elsewhere in the country which are just as important to their communities and also need funding.
Well done and thank you to all who campaigned on behalf of the South to reject the most razor-edged cuts and ensure the government listened.
Let’s have no more delays.
It’s time to get on with it.
