Dunedin mayor Jules Radich in the Dunedin City Council's new campaign ambulance, named Cliff. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
Dunedin's mayor says the city needs the fit-for-purpose hospital the government had promised, not a cut-price ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
The city council's new campaign ambulance has been dubbed Cliff, as a reminder of what local communities want to avoid.
The government is waiting for officials to come back with options to cut costs in the Dunedin Hospital build, after saying costs could reach up to $3 billion - significantly more than the $1.88b earmarked for the project.
The announcement prompted public outcry, with up to 35,000 people marching through Dunedin to protest against any cuts late last month.
Mayor Jules Radich said Cliff would travel throughout the lower South Island to raise awareness of the Save Our Southern Hospital campaign, and encourage people to keep messaging the government.
The hospital was designed to be efficient, and that would be jeopardised by any cuts, he said.
"A great many number of clinicians have submitted and been consulted on this. It's been a torturous process. It's been trimmed and tightened and squished down. It's been value managed, but it's also been peer reviewed."
Ministers were waiting for advice from officials about possible options to reduce costs.
A spokesperson for Health Minister Dr Shane Reti's office said ministers did not put a specific timeline on the next steps.
"The government wants to get this important piece of work going as soon as possible," they said.
The Dunedin City Council's new campaign ambulance, named Cliff. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
The government committed to the build during the election campaign and again in June - which was after a report detailing budget concerns was delivered in May.
During the government's announcement about the blown budget and the need for changes, Reti said he did not have findings from the review and the promise was made on the best information at hand, but it was flawed.
Cliff was a popular suggestion during a public competition to name the ambulance.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Radich said he was feeling very proud to be a southerner.
"The community of the whole southern region has really got in behind this campaign," he said.
"Everybody in the region has really got a strong understanding of what this means for the region and our opportunity for this hospital comes only once."
Cliff would be around the Octagon about lunchtime on Thursday and Friday, with councillors handing out campaign materials and selling badges to support the campaign and pay for fuel costs.
The campaign would also soon be visible in the North Island with digital billboards overlooking State Highway 1 near Wellington, sharing its messages.
But Radich has not ruled out Cliff making an appearance in the capital.
The ambulance is on loan to the council.
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