Dunedin Hospital needs to be built, but Central Otago has ‘’legitimate needs’’ that should not be ignored, outgoing Central Otago mayor says.

The planned Dunedin Hospital redevelopment has become embroiled in debate after the government announced last month the project may need to be scaled back or built in stages.

People took to the streets in protest, while Dunedin City mayor Jules Radich has taken to the roads across the lower South Island in an ambulance named Cliff to raise awareness of the Save Our Southern Hospital campaign.

Invercargill city councillors have thrown their weight behind the “They Save We Pay’’ campaign and RNZ reported that 44 clinical directors from across the southern region wrote to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, warning services could be left in a “precarious’’ state if the project was stalled.

Central Otago mayor Tim Cadogan said he believed Dunedin must have a hospital that met the needs of Dunedin, Waitaki, Clutha and to a much lesser extent than it is currently, of the people of Inland Otago.

The original proposal was designed to have people from Central Otago and Wanaka use Dunedin Hospital as they do now, however that was a “mistake’’, Mayor Tim said.

‘’Firstly, 70% of the people in New Zealand who live more than two hours’ drive from a base hospital, live in CODC (Central Otago District Council) and QLDC (Queenstown Lakes District Council).

“It is going to be very hard for us to advocate for the health services that we need in Central if we advocate for a hospital in Dunedin that is, in part, designed to meet those needs in the decades to come,’’ Mayor Tim said.

When it came to future investment in healthcare, it needed to be noted that Central Otago grew at 12.7 per cent and Queenstown Lakes at 22.1 per cent while Dunedin City grew by just 2.1 per cent, he said.

“Of the 67 TA’s, (Territorial Authorities) Dunedin was ranked third for low growth and this is the continuation of a long-term trend.  

‘’In the 2013-2018 time, Dunedin grew by just 5%.  Population growth south of the Waitaki is and will be in Inland Otago, and it is massive.’’

Building services on the coast to meet the growth inland made no sense and did a disservice to the future people of Inland Otago, Mayor Tim said.

“Dunedin’s new hospital absolutely needs to be built to meet Dunedin’s needs, but not to meet all of ours.’’

“The cost in time and money that Central Otago people are having to undertake to receive hospital treatment in Dunedin is a massive burden that would be avoided if we had the same level of hospital care in Inland Otago that most of the rest of the country has,’’ he said.

“That is the situation now and with the huge population growth we have here, is only going to get much worse very soon. 

“I have sympathy for the Dunedin situation, but our legitimate needs cannot be lost or forgotten in this discussion.’’

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