The New Dunedin Hospital outpatient building was officially opened recently, delivering a state-of-the-art health facility for the Otago and Southland community.
The five-storey, 15,000sq m building was constructed by Master Builders company Southbase on behalf of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, and is the first of two main buildings planned for the new central-city hospital campus.
The building will support the delivery of a range of ambulatory care services, including day surgery and procedures, outpatient clinics, and diagnostic radiology including MRI, CT, X-ray, and ultrasound.
“We’re incredibly proud to hand over a building of this scale and complexity to Health New Zealand, and prouder still of the skills and jobs this project created for the region,” Southbase Construction chief executive Quin Henderson says.
Construction began with foundation works in 2022 and, at its peak, the project had around 300 people on site, with Southbase employing local Dunedin labour, subcontractors and apprentices to deliver the build.
Henderson says Southbase used state-of-the-art technology and tools to save time and cost.
“A hospital is about the most complicated thing you can build, and this one has a working hospital next door and a state highway nearby. We used a construction robot to drill the seismic restraint bolts, which took 30% off both the time and the cost. We pride ourselves on being the most innovative construction firm in New Zealand, and this project is a great example of that,” Henderson says.
The building is targeting a 5 Green Star sustainability rating. The hospital’s inpatient building, now under construction on the former Cadbury site, is due to open in 2031.
Key project facts
• Client: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
• Main contractor: Southbase
• Location: Dunedin central-city hospital campus
• Size: Approximately 15,000sq m across five storeys, IL3 health facility
• Peak workforce: Approximately 300 people on site
• Local procurement: 91% contracted through South Island-owned and operated businesses
• Sustainability: Targeting a 5 Green Star rating
• Wider programme: First of two buildings within the New Dunedin Hospital – Project Whakatuputupu
About Southbase:
Southbase is one of New Zealand’s leading construction firms, and was founded in Christchurch in 2013 as part of the recovery response to the Canterbury Earthquakes.
Since then, it has delivered for a diverse portfolio of public and private-sector clients, and is known as a proven performer in the New Zealand commercial construction industry. The company’s track record boasts more than $3 billion in projects of national significance across the country.
For more on how Southbase can help to deliver your construction projects visit southbase.co.nz.
