1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: And so far at least, the government appears unmoved by 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: the mass outrage against the cutbacks to Dunedin's plans for 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: its new hospital. About thirty five thousand people march over 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: the weekend to protest the plans to scale back the redevelopment. 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: But Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishops is the project extremely complex 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: and it is not as easy as just simply finding 7 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: a new contractor. We've got a way up the trade 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: offs between going out to market and potentially delaying the 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: actual start of construction on the impatient for another long 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: period of time. Dunedin Mayor Jules Radditch is with us 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: on this. This evening killed her. So what do you 12 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: make of the government's response. 13 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 2: Well, I mean the whole project's been not as easy 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 2: as anything because it's dragged on and dragged on and 15 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 2: it's a big part of the escalation and cost. The 16 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 2: name of the game is really did to get on 17 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: with it now? I mean, the good contract management with 18 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: the existing contractor will be fine. We've just got to 19 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: get them to build the job for the money at hand. 20 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: Do you accept the official line on the cost blowouts? 21 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 2: No one, because well they've said they've gone to three billion, 22 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 2: but they're including a whole lot of other things that 23 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 2: weren't in scope. So you know, decommissioning or refurbishing a 24 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 2: building for three hundred and fifty million, where did that 25 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,279 Speaker 2: come from? You know, that's never been talked about until 26 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 2: just now. So and to put that into the cost, 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 2: I mean the main the cost that needs to be 28 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 2: funded right now is the building is the construction of 29 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 2: the in patient's building. So it's here, ready to go. 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 2: The piles are done, the plans are made, the plans 31 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 2: are all drawn. It's just ready to go and they 32 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 2: just need to get it up into the sky. 33 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: What will be the impact for Dunedin and the region 34 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: more broadly the wider region if this doesn't go ahead, 35 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: if you don't get the full project as originally planned, well. 36 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: Number one people will die. So you know, the government 37 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: have blood on its hands because you know, this hospital 38 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 2: is needed for the level of tertiary care that is 39 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 2: required throughout the whole region. This hospital will cater for 40 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 2: the whole lower half of the South Island and it 41 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: provides the high level of specialist care that's required in 42 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: the tertiary hospital. So people fly in on choppers from 43 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: emergencies all around the region, but also they come on 44 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 2: ambulances and in cars to see the specialists that we 45 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 2: have here. Internet. 46 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: You know, we've had a lot of texts over the 47 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: last couple of hours people saying, oh, the protesters on 48 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: the weekend were all just labor supporters. They just hate 49 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: this new government. That's what it's down to. It simple politics. 50 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 2: What do you say to that, Well, I think it's 51 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: not too late for them to keep the promise. I mean, 52 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: this government made the promise to build the hospital, and 53 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: you know the hospital has been in the gestation period 54 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 2: now for fourteen years, and you know, detailed work has 55 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: been done. Five hundred clinicians collaborated and cooperated and consult 56 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 2: to get it refined down to the minimum needed for 57 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 2: the city. And there's hardly any more beds in this 58 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 2: hospital than there isn't the current hospital. But it's a 59 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 2: lot more efficient, it's going to have a lot better 60 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 2: patient flow, and it's been designed for modern medicine, so 61 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: it'll be much better for people. 62 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: So, Jewels, finally, what is your plan from here? What 63 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: will more protest mean? What else are you going to do? 64 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 2: Well, first thing, we'll be sending some postcards to Minister 65 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 2: Ready So and then postcards will come from all around 66 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: the region because there were people from around the region 67 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 2: that came here to need, especially for the protest. People 68 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: from Queenstown came down especially for the day, just to 69 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: walk in the march, and I I don't think anyone 70 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 2: was expecting the size of crowd we got. It was enormous. 71 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, thanks for your time. I appreciate it. That's 72 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: the need and mere jewels radit for more from Heather 73 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: Duplessy Allen Drive. 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