Southern Hospital: mayors travel to the capital to deliver a petition

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich in Dunedin City Council’s new election ambulance, Cliff.
Photo: RNZ/Tess Brunton

Dunedin City Council’s Save Our Southern Hospital campaign will be in Wellington on Wednesday, where Cliff Ambulance will deliver the petition to Parliament.

A New Zealand Nurses Organization petition calling on the government to reverse announced cuts to the city’s new southern hospital has now been signed by more than 34,000 people.

In September, officials announced that planned renovations would have to be scaled back or done in phases because of budget inflation.

Southern Hospital serves 350,000 people and is the largest regional tertiary hospital in New Zealand. It trains health workers for all of New Zealand.

On the campaign website, organizers said construction of Southern Hospital was not expensive or extravagant. It has 410 overnight beds, 53 emergency beds and 15 theaters.

Cliff, an old St John’s ambulance built as part of the council’s campaign), will deliver the petition to the steps of Parliament around midday. NZNO delegate Linda Smillie, Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher and Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clarke will be on board the ambulance to attend the handover.