Nick Smith: Nelson Mayor on the upgrade to the city's hospital

Nelson's Mayor says upgrading the city's hospital will be a turning point for its health services. 

Completion of a 128-bed inpatient building has been brought forward two years to 2029. 

Nick Smith told Mike Hosking the city’s health services have been under real pressure, with the old buildings dating back to 1955 and 1970. 

He says it's encouraging not only to have the $500 million upgrade, but also the 32 bed temporary inpatient ward. 

Smith told Hosking it gives them both immediate relief, but also enables the redevelopment and earthquake strengthening to be done really well. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
But Nelson, they had their day in the sun yesterday,
no pun intended given them. Weather was of course rope,
but the beg guns also came to town. They announced
the details around that new hospital. Half a billion is
being plowed into redevelopment. Nick Smith, of course, is the
mayor of the city and is with us. Nick morning
to you.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning. We were a great day yesterday and we're
very welcoming of the announcement.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Are you still in gum boots? Are you sorted out there? Oh?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
We had a torrential rainstorm for a couple of hours
yesterday morning at height toward It did cause some damage.
Reminder of the investment that councils need to make an
upgrading our stormwater infrastructure, but no major damage.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Might good As regards the hospital, Is it one of
those things that's going to go on forever and get
changed along the way, or are you confident something's going
to happen.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Well, The plans that were announced by the government yesterday
are involving new and patient building. It'll be the largest
building ever built in Nelson at eleven thousand square meters,
you know, one hundred and twenty eight beds. New pharmacy
new blood bank, new heavy paired, new medical assessment. It's
a massive commitment and alongside it as big upgrades of

(01:02):
the infrastructure, new energy center, new parking building, and already
we have a new emergency department underway. Nelson Health Services
have been under real pressure. The old buildings go back
to fifty five nineteen seventy, are earthquake prone, increasing levels
of frustration that nothing was happening. A real red letter day,

(01:25):
not just to have the commitment for the over five
hundred million to do the job, but also very encouraged
by this notion of a thirty two bed temporary modular
inpatient ward. It's the first for New Zealand. The big
game for us in that is that our waiting lists
are long because of the shortage of beds. The project's

(01:46):
not due for completion the major project till twenty nine.
It gives us some immediate relief, but also because the
plan involves the earthquake strengthening of a couple of the
existing tower blocks, there's been real challenge and getting that
work done while those hospitals are still being used, and
so it just enables the redevelopment to be able to

(02:07):
be done really well. That extra announcement was really the
icing on the cake.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Fantastic good to hear the good news and I appreciate
it very much. Next s Meith, the mayor of Nelson.
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