The Ministry of Health and Southern District Health Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki today, marking a commitment to designing, building and operating the New Dunedin Hospital as an inclusive facility.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says this acknowledges the long history Kāi Tahu have with the hospital site and the Otago harbour.

He says the Ministry of Health is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and building its capacity to engage meaningfully with Māori.

“We want to build true, practical and effective Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based relationships with Māori to improve Māori health outcomes and address Māori health inequities. Mana whenua’s integral involvement with the design of the New Dunedin Hospital embodies this."

The MoU is intended to ensure the New Dunedin Hospital is successfully built through:

  • effective partnership around customary and intended use of the land
  • cultural awareness and knowledge of whānau-centric services within building design standards
  • effective engagement with whānau, hapū Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Māori groups
  • active partnership with mana whenua to find opportunities during planning and delivery to enhance mana whenua wellbeing, health and social outcomes.

To help reflect these goals, cultural narrative partner Aukaha has provided the project with a working title, Whakatuputupu, to help inform and guide the design aesthetic, environmental performance and user functionality of the new hospital across the design phases.

Rachel Wesley, Chairperson of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, works to provide for the wellbeing of their hapū members by providing administrative assistance, guidance and management for their spiritual, cultural, educational, moral, social and economic affairs.

“We have a proud history and promising future. Our involvement with the New Dunedin Hospital provides hapū members an opportunity to help shape the future of healthcare and engage with the project in a meaningful way.”

Matapura Ellison is Chairperson of Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, which also provides for the wellbeing of its hapū members by providing administrative assistance, guidance and management in their spiritual, cultural, educational, moral, social and economic affairs.

“All Southern Kāi Tahu rūnaka have an interest in furthering the health and welfare interests of their people, and as such both Kati Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki and Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou will work collaboratively with other Kāi Tahu rūnaka in the catchment of the Southern District Health Board to ensure the social and health interests of Kāi Tahu whānau, Māori and the wider community are served within the New Dunedin Hospital project,” he says.

Pete Hodgson, Chair of Southern District Health Board, says equity and partnership with rūnaka was an important driver for the New Dunedin Hospital project.

“We’ve made a commitment to achieving equity in commercial, health and wellness, exemplified through our Annual Plans, Service Planning processes and our System Level Measures Improvement Plan.”

“Equity recognises people with different levels of advantage require different approaches. We take pride in the services we provide, and our aim is to improve, promote and protect the health and wellbeing of our populations.”