The Otago Central Lakes strategic health report was sent to Health Minister Simeon Brown in February by the steering group, which was comprised of Southland MP Joseph Mooney, Health New Zealand, the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District Councils, rural health providers, iwi, including kaupapa Māori health providers, Act MP Todd Stephenson and Waitaki MP Miles Anderson.
Mr Mooney said the group’s objective was to "expedite planning and investment in health services and infrastructure in Otago Central Lakes" — Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley said 70% of New Zealanders who lived two or more hours from a hospital resided in that region.
The report said health service improvements were required to meet the current and future populations’ needs.
On a peak day, the district’s combined population, which included visitors, was 168,000 — expected to nearly double by 2054, it said.
"There is a reputational risk to all of Aotearoa New Zealand if adequate healthcare services are unavailable to deal with international visitor illness or injury."
The report identified opportunities to increase public health services by partnering with the private sector, but Mr Anderson said the project was "not asking for public funds".
The "early stage" public-private partnerships included in the report, which were "ready for collaboration", are:
• The Southern Lakes Public Hospital — the location of which is to be determined — which is a proposed privately financed facility with full public hospital services and future capacity to become a regional hospital.
• Lakeview Te Taumata Clinic (Queenstown), a private surgical hospital expected to open in 2027, with opportunities for maternity care and workforce development.
• Integrated Care Hub (Wānaka), a planned day surgery with potential space for publicly funded after-hours services.
• Wānaka Health Precinct, a private surgical hospital designed with capacity to integrate public services.
• Aged-care facilities (Clyde), which are under construction, have the potential to expand into a full suite of publicly funded services for older people in Central Otago.
• Securing land and investors in Central Otago for future public health infrastructure, based on the outcomes of the other projects.
Additionally, the trust was exploring "innovative mobile modular units" which could be used as consultation rooms, clinics or staff accommodation and wanted to find land to host them in areas where they were needed, the report said.
The $2 million funding was required to "complete the groundwork" for community consultation, clinical design and planning process, and technical assessments and detailed business cases Health New Zealand could work with — it already had $400,000 seed funding, it said.
Subject to Mr Brown’s support, a working group would be established to work with Health New Zealand to progress the proposed solutions — community engagement and consultation would follow.
