The Health Minister has announced that $100 million allocated from Budget 2025 will be used to fund 21 local projects at hospital facilities across the country.
Speaking from Auckland’s Manukau Health Park this afternoon, Simeon Brown said the money had been specifically allocated from Budget 2025 to fund the hospital upgrades, but Health New Zealand had to make business cases to decide which projects the funding would be put towards.
“It’s money which is part of the budget. So the money was allocated, Health New Zealand has then been through a process, the money’s now been drawn down. So they can crack on, get it done, employ some people to construct it and deliver the improved infrastructure for patients,” he said.
He said the investment to “accelerate improvements across hospital facilities” would help deliver New Zealanders “modern, resilient hospitals that can deliver timely, quality care”.
The money would be used for 21 local projects across the country to “expand and modernise clinical spaces and supporting services”.
Projects would be delivered from Whangārei to Queenstown, reflecting local priorities including increased clinical space in emergency departments, new transit lounges, additional clinical spaces, laboratory refurbishments and additional car parking.
Alongside these local upgrades, the funding would support nine remediation programmes across hospital facilities.
“These works will strengthen the critical infrastructure that keeps hospitals safe and reliable – including heating, power, hot water, and air conditioning. By tackling urgent risks and building resilience, we are ensuring hospitals can deliver the care New Zealanders rely on, every hour of every day,” Brown said.
Brown said these small-scale upgrades were designed to deliver practical, quicker benefits directly to the communities that need them, and build on major, longer-term hospital projects such as Nelson and Wellington announced in this year’s Budget.
These projects will also support jobs across the construction sector nationwide, with most set for delivery in 2026 and some extending into 2027.