But correspondence from Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand suggests the organisation feels it’s all a bit premature.
A lobby group, led by former Hawke’s Bay District Health Board member DanDruzianic, unveiled a proposal last Friday for a greenfield site on the outskirts of Hastings.
Druzianic presented that plan to Hawke’s Bay’s mayors, council chief executives, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chair, Matariki Regional Development Group, iwi and Te Whatu Ora, before publicising the proposed location.
He has since had a further meeting with the mayors.
It’s understood none of the parties involved want to prejudice the process by stating a view firmly in favour redeveloping the existing hospital or starting from scratch elsewhere.
However, Hazlehurst told Hawke’s Bay Today that it’s helpful to have this information out there.
“It’s good that the wider community are considering greenfield options for a new hospital model,” Hazlehurst said.
Druzianic said he became aware a year ago that preliminary feasibility work was being done by Te Whatu Ora, to determine the need for a major infrastructure spend in Hawke’s Bay.
Having done nine years on the old District Health Board, Druzianic said he was conscious of the state the existing hospital is in, how long it might take to rebuild and what the cost could be.
He set about identifying a different site and announced that on June 9.
In a joint letter to Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall in April, Hawke’s Bay’s mayors and regional council chair asked for any studies into infrastructure spending in this province to include investigations into a greenfield site.
In a statement sent to Hawke’s Bay Today on Wednesday, Te Whatu Ora capital investment, infrastructure and investment group director Aaron Matthews said his organisation “is aware of a proposal by a lobby group to build a regional hospital at York Rd, Hastings”.
But that any statement suggesting York Road was the preferred greenfield site “are purely the opinion of the lobby group”.
An artist's impression of what a new Hawke's Bay Hospital could look like.
“Before any greenfield option is considered, there is the need to undertake planning work to support the assessment of options,” Matthews continued.
“Work is now under way to develop a comprehensive clinical services plan, asset management plan and subsequent site master Plan.
“If alternatives to the location of the hospital were to be considered, that would be assessed through the subsequent development of a business case. We are not at this stage in 2023.
“The timing and priority of redevelopment of the hospital is yet to be determined by Te Whatu Ora.”
In an interview with Hawke’s Bay Today on Tuesday, Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise was critical of what she feels is a lack of communication from Te Whatu Ora to local councils and eager for any health infrastructure plans to include an improvement to services in her city.
