'Biggest protest in Dunedin in decades' as up to 35,000 rally against hospital cuts

'We're just getting started,' Dunedin's mayor says after a massive crowd that was estimated at 35,000 people turned up to protest possible cuts to hospital redevelopment.

Dunedin's Octagon packed with people on Saturday calling for the government to keep its promise to build the new Dunedin Hospital with no cuts.

It is now in doubt after the government says it will not put more money into the project and is considering advice about possible cuts, delays and developing the old site after more budget blowouts.

A report commissioned by the government found the current plans could not be delivered within the current $1.88 billion budget. They said the planned redevelopment needed to stay within its current budget and would either need to be reduced, or done in stages, amid fears the cost could balloon to $3b.

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich called it the biggest protest in the city of about 134,000 in years.

"Today up to 35,000 people from across the South have come together on Dunedin's streets to express their outrage at proposed cuts to our new regional hospital," he said in a statement.

Packed from the dental school to the Octagon (1km). Gotta be the biggest protest in Ōtepoti for a good many years. pic.twitter.com/sEmVad4eFA

— Elliot Weir (@elliotjweir) September 28, 2024

"This is the biggest protest in Dunedin in decades, and together we've sent a powerful message to government that we're not going accept broken promises and a hospital that fails the people of our region.

"This is no longer a Dunedin issue or even a Southern issue. This is now a national issue, shining a spotlight on the government's health funding and priorities, and they can't simply ignore us.

"We're not going away. In fact, we're just getting started."

Many of the protesters spoken to by RNZ were angry.

Prostate cancer survivor Robert Scott, who lives near Port Chalmers, held a sign that said "Frickin' Liars" and said the government needed to spend the money and build the hospital right.

"It made a huge difference for me being able to access the care. I could go in each day and get my treatment, every day for a month. It was only a 10 minute drive from my house," Scott said.

He wanted to see no cuts approved for the hospital.

"The government is slowly stripping away the funding for everything and the hospital is another example. It's just for balancing books."

Dunedin resident Jan said the southern region relied on the hospital and she felt it had been ignored by the government.

"These are people's lives we're talking about. This is Dunedin, Otago and Southland's future, they can afford to build it ... They can afford to build a new med school in the Waikato, which is not required. They can afford so many other things," she said.

Her husband needed the hospital for brain haemorrhage and brain cancer, and while the service was outstanding, she said it was obvious then that it was so rundown.

"His life depended on it. We couldn't have gotten to Christchurch in time. It covers such a huge area ... this is a hospital for a really significant region."

Mayor Radich said he understood the feelings of the community.

"The fact the government now wants to downscale such a critical facility for the South is an outrage, and people are right to be angry," Radich said.

Dunedin resident Judith said attending the protest was a no brainer.

"How could you not? This has just been the most disgusting display," she said.

"We are all so angry about ... even the mere mention of the fact that they were going to try and renovate this hospital - the existing hospital - is just so absurd."

This was a multi-generational hospital for a region and it was what the communities needed, she said.

Health Minister Shane Reti said the government remained committed to building a new hospital in Dunedin, but recognised the passion of today's protesters.

"There's always been an extremely high degree of public interest in this large and complex piece of infrastructure, and while this week's announcement was not an easy one to make, it had to be done to ensure we can deliver in Dunedin, and across the rest of the country's hospital network as well," Reti said.

"I want to assure the people of Dunedin and the south that Health New Zealand and ministers are fully committed to making sure we deliver long overdue solutions to their region's health infrastructure needs."

Mayor Radich said he would lead a Southern delegation to Wellington to continue the campaign in person, and councillors will write an open letter to the ministers, calling for them to stick to the government's promise.

"Our message is simple, build it once and build it right, with no clinical cuts, and that's what the people of the South have said with one voice, loudly and clearly, today."

Silent protest in Westport

Another large protest in Westport on the West Coast Saturday was over health care shortfalls there.

The Buller Declaration which calls on the government to fix the health care crisis was launched at the end of a protest in Westport.

Over 1000 people silently marched through Westport protesting the standard of health services on the West Coast.

One of the organisers, Malcolm Mulholland from Patient Voice Aotearoa, said after speaking publicly about issues on the West Coast he had been contacted by people from all over the country.

Mulholland said the declaration called for enough resources to be allocated to hire more nurses, doctors and specialists and would be presented to Parliament.

In Westport, Del Morgan and his wife Marie said they came out today because someone had to protest the state of the health system. This government and the last had decimated the health system, he said.

He said his wife was on crutches, and unlikely to get off them because they felt no one in the health system is interested because she is over 80.

Del said they did live in Nelson, and found the health system was far worse on the West Coast.

Dr Reti said recruitment and retention at remote and rural health services has been a long term challenge, and he recognised the concerns raised around the West Coast today.

"I've been assured that in-person care will remain available on the West Coast, alongside growing capacity for after-hours care through initiatives like telehealth," he said.

"I am also very aware there are financial and workforce pressures on some practices. West Coast Health, Health NZ and the private GP practices will continue to work in partnership to ensure there are sustainable primary care services for our West Coast community.

He was heartened to hear a new GP had started in Greymouth recently and Health New Zealand has recruited two new doctors for the West Coast.

"Health NZ continues to work with the primary care sector on sustainable funding arrangements," he said.

"They're also currently working with ACC on a national project to design accessible and sustainable urgent care and after-hours services around the country, and this work will inform the Rural Unplanned and Urgent Care review underway."