Hospital rebuild campaign launched

Dunedin (Friday, 24 March 2017) – A public campaign to keep Dunedin Hospital in the central city with the same services is being launched today.

The Dunedin City Council is calling on central government to redevelop Dunedin Hospital in the centre of the city. The Council also wants a clear commitment that a top flight teaching hospital will be retained for Dunedin and the wider Otago/Southland region.

Planning and Environment Committee Chair Cr David Benson-Pope and Community and Culture Committee Chair Cr Aaron Hawkins are launching the campaign at 12.30pm today. They and other Councillors will be distributing flyers to businesses in northern George Street and around the hospital.

The flyers encourage people to visit the campaign website, www.DunedinHospitalSOS.nz, to fill in an online form that can be emailed to Prime Minister Bill English, Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Finance and Minister for Infrastructure Steven Joyce and local MP Michael Woodhouse.

Cr Benson-Pope says, “We’re asking residents to really get behind this campaign. A hospital in an easily accessible location in the central city, close to our Medical School and the wider university campus, adjacent to shops, services and accommodation is essential for the health of patients, visitors and our city. Further indecision and delay is simply not acceptable.”

Cr Hawkins says, “It’s always disappointing when we have to launch a campaign like this to fight for the public services Dunedin deserves. The city showed it can wield more influence than Treasury when we saved our historic courthouse building, and with the full support of our community we’re confident we can do that for Dunedin Hospital.”

The campaign starts in the CBD, but all Dunedin households will receive a copy of the flyer in their letter boxes over the next few days. Elected members will also be distributing flyers and rallying residents in other areas of the city over coming weeks.

For updates and background information, visit the website or www.facebook.com/dunedinhospitalsos/.

Mayoral statement

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