The Whangārei Hospital upgrades are well overdue, say Northlanders. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northlanders are hoping that the Whangārei Hospital is prioritised under a National-led Government.
Returning National MP for Whangārei Shane Reti drew controversy from the public after indicating on election night that the hospital upgrade would not be a first-term priority.
The day after the election, Reti said he would look at whether the money from the Labour Government for the new base hospital was “really and truly” locked in.
“I also need to see what stage the proposal is at, what work has been done and what needs to be done.”
Reti also indicated the best-case scenario would be for the first sod to be turned this term.
Since then, Reti has reassured Northlanders that National is “committed” to the project, which is a funding package including the hospital upgrade, child health unit and whānau house.
“The hospital upgrade is very important for Whangārei and Northland,” he said. “This is an old hospital grappling with an increasing population with increasing complexity and health needs.”
Further details about when work will occur remain hazy as National has yet to form a Government and appoint ministers.
“Following that, appointed ministers will meet with government department heads and start the process of putting our policies and plans in place,” Reti said.
National rejected assumptions that the money budgeted for the hospital would disappear into tax cuts if delayed again.
“National has said repeatedly that we will increase health spending each and every year.
“The departing Labour Government has been responsible for upgrade funding and any ring-fencing.
National is committed to delivering the hospital upgrade package for Whangārei and Northland.”
Whangārei emergency medicine consultant Gary Payinda told One News after Reti’s comment on election night that delaying the hospital upgrade by any means would be a mistake.
“We’ve got problems of chronically leaking roofs, an undersized emergency department and other units, which are probably about 50 per cent smaller than they need to be.”
“It’s shocking we haven’t had a [new] hospital earlier than this. We needed one literally decades ago.”
Payinda said he had been working at the hospital for 16 years and the upgrade had been “two to three years away” for more than a decade.
“When we heard [Reti] say our hospital won’t be a first-term priority, it really hit us quite personally up here, that again we’re going to be put off.”
Vince Cocurullo, the mayor of Whangārei and a member of Te Whatu Ora’s capital works steering committee for Northland, reassured Northlanders that the project was on track to begin in 2026.
He urged Northlanders to be realistic about the project, which he said has been “eight years in the making” and would also take eight years to build.
“I know a lot of Northlanders really want to get this hospital up and running,” he said.
He believed Reti would push for more funding to fit the needs of the district.
“I really do feel that Northland was very much undervalued [by the Labour Government].
“The previous Government really undervalued what the need for Northland actually was”.
When the hospital plans first came to a head, Cocurullo said the job was quoted at $1 billion.
“We did about four business cases, and each time we had to cut it back.”
The Labour Government announced last year that stage one of the rebuild would go ahead with $759 million set aside for the first stage of construction and $200m for the second stage.
Cocurullo’s concern was that, while the money had been guaranteed, it would build a hospital only for “what we’ve presently got. Not for the future growth”.
“Emily Henderson tried her hardest to get more funding but it went against her,” he said.
“Everyone in Northland” knew how important the hospital was for the region and Reti would be “100 per cent behind that”.
“He knows. No one in their right mind would say it’s not [important].
“I would love the project to start tomorrow. But realistically it’s not.”
When asked whether it came down to prioritising four-laning roads or Whangārei Hospital, he said the reality was different.
“They are all completely separate projects and completely separate budgets.”
He believed Northland’s new MPs would push for much-needed infrastructure for Northland. “If anything we have got a really good case to get Northland done properly.”
The Northern Advocate spoke to people on the streets of Whangārei about the issue.
Dave Johnson, from Houhora, regularly travels to Whangārei Hospital for treatment.
He said Far North residents were hugely reliant on the facilities in Whangārei.
“It’s not just for the Whangārei people. There’s a hospital in Kaitāia, but break an arm and that’s probably all you’re gonna get. Anything more than that and they’re not capable and they don’t have the facilities to do the job.”
He described the car park at Whangārei Hospital as a “nightmare”.
Sheilah Covacich worked as a midwife at the Whangārei Base Hospital for around 40 years.
She said the upgrades were of utmost importance. “It should be one of the number ones on the agenda.”
She also said the four-landing was an equally important project. “We’re driving on third-grade roads. I think we’re forgotten about, really.”
Saimoni, originally from Fiji, said the hospital upgrade was needed to help get people in and out much more efficiently.
Describing the upgrade as “well overdue”, he said what he had seen of the plans were well worthwhile and needed.
Waiting three years for any work to occur was not too long because, as long as there was a goal in mind, he wouldn’t be worried.
“Even if it’s taking a little bit of time, at least the goal is still there.”
Tim Edwards, originally from Whangārei, was visiting from the UK. He said as some of the population aged, healthcare “assumes a greater importance”.
“There’s a similar issue where I’m living now in the UK. A failure to invest. Now you’ll get away with it for a certain length of time and then, as things start to crumble, services start to get worse.”
“You move into kind of a more of an emergency situation. Which is usually best to avoid.”
Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie recently graduated from Massey University and has a special interest in the environment and investigative reporting.
The contentious bill will have its first reading in Parliament this afternoon.