Health Minister Simeon Brown Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Dunedin Hospital's new inpatient building will be built by CPB Contractors.
Health Minister Simeon Brown made the announcement in the southern city today.
The much-delayed and costly rebuild has been debated since John Key was Prime Minister.
Construction started - already delayed - under the previous Labour government.
Construction was again delayed as the coalition government debated the scope and cost of the project upon assuming office.
Work on the building again resumed in July this year.
The inpatient building, which was initially pencilled for 2028 completion,is now scheduled to accept its first patients in 2031.
The neighbouring outpatient building - which was originally meant to be operational in late 2023 - is now expected to be operating in October 2026.
Brown said the inpatient building was a key priority for the government.
"In January this year, I gave the people of Dunedin certainty that it would be built on the old Cadbury site, and in July construction work resumed," he said.
"Under the previous government's plans, the project risked a $3 billion blowout. We've reset the approach and strengthened planning to ensure we actually deliver the safe, modern hospital that Dunedin and the surrounding Otago and Southland regions deserve.
"The $1.88 billion new Dunedin Hospital programme is New Zealand's single biggest health infrastructure project and an economic boost for the region.
"Construction of the inpatient building will provide more than 900 FTE jobs and contribute around $100 million annually to Dunedin's economy at the peak of construction.
"I am pleased to confirm CPB Contractors Limited as the main construction partner for the delivery of this building.
"CPB has been involved from the early days, working closely with Health New Zealand's design team on pre-construction activities. With their experience in New Zealand and Australia, we are pleased to have a contractor in place who has the appropriate experience to manage a project of this scale and complexity - approximately 72,000 sqm of space.
"This project is highly complex, which is why we have also put in place a Crown Manager to oversee delivery and ensure CPB completes it on time and within budget."
A crane would be in Dunedin's skyline mid-next year, with the hospital due for practical completion in 2030 and patients the following year.
"With the main contractor now in place, the people of Dunedin, Otago, and Southland can finally look forward to the modern, world-class hospital they need, and now will get," Brown said.
