HEALTH

New Dunedin Hospital

Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora · Otago

New tertiary hospital for the southern region, built in stages on the former Cadbury factory site. The outpatients building was targeted to open in 2026, with the inpatients building reaching practical completion in 2030 and opening to patients in 2031. Cost per square metre has roughly tripled since the 2017 business case, and the Government reviewed downgrade options before committing to the inpatients build. Approved budget is $2.1b, including $174m contingency.

Strongest delivery signals Data: High

Delivery Confidence Score, 0 to 100, higher is better: a ranking of how strong this project's delivery signals are, not a probability. It blends eight factors, including the election risk and policy alignment shown below.

Breakdown▾

Data current as at 13 Jun 2026, when the pipeline was last checked against its source.

Key facts

Region: Otago
Sector: Health
Status: Under Construction
Estimated value: $2.1b
Indicative completion: 2031
Funding status: Fully Funded
Lead organisation: Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora
Election risk: Low

Election risk assessment

Replacement hospital under construction but with major cost overruns and design controversies. A government change may alter scope but would not cancel a partly-built hospital.

Government priority alignment

MEDIUM: Health-delivery priority, but cost overruns have drawn value-for-money scrutiny.

Chronology

2017Business case approved for a new Dunedin hospital
2024Government signals downgrade amid cost blowouts; public backlash
2025Commitment confirmed to build the inpatients block at the Cadbury site
2026Outpatients building targeted to open
2026Approved budget confirmed at $2.1b (incl. $174m contingency); practical completion targeted 2030, opening to patients 2031
2029Inpatients building targeted (≈18-month delay reported)

Source

New Dunedin Hospital ↗ · RNZ (approved budget, Budget 2026) ↗

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