New Zealand: Earthquake strengthening work for Hawke’s Bay Hospital

Health Minister Dr David Clark says seismic strengthening work at Hawke’s Bay DHB will improve the DHB’s resilience to natural disasters.

“This Government inherited a catalogue of building issues at hospitals around the country and we’re getting on with the job of fixing them – although given the scale of the task it will take many years.

“Hawke’s Bay is in a high seismic risk zone and people deserve to know their hospital will be there for them in the event of an emergency, including an earthquake. 

“As our understanding of how buildings function in an earthquake continues to improve, we need to keep up-to-date and make the necessary improvements to hospital buildings. 

“As part of the DHB’s detailed business case for an additional eighth theatre fit-out and acute assessment unit refurbishment, the DHB commissioned detailed seismic assessments.  

“As a result, to bring the theatre block and acute assessment unit in line with the new building standards, strengthening work is required to ensure these buildings are able to function effectively after a major event. 

“Work has already started on the acute assessment unit building and is expected to be completed by 2021. Work on the theatre block is due to start in 2020.

“Hospital services will continue throughout, thanks to good planning and the hard work of DHB staff,” Dr Clark says.

The Government has approved $8.8 million for the seismic strengthening of the DHB’s theatre block and acute assessment unit. This funding comes from capital contingency set aside as part of Budget 18 (and previous Budgets).

Note: The Hawke’s Bay DHB’s eighth theatre fit-out project was approved in July 2018, at a cost of $12 million (which the DHB is self-funding). Seismic assessment work was commissioned as part of that project.