The beginning of construction of the Outpatient Building was marked at a ceremony in Dunedin on Friday 3 June 2022.

“Covering two city blocks, the New Dunedin Hospital is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in New Zealand,” Health Minister Andrew Little said.

"It is a real pleasure to be in Dunedin to see work on the new hospital under way."

Dunedin’s new hospital is being built on the site of the old Cadbury chocolate factory. The building will meet 5 Star Green Star accreditation, with features like double-glazing and low-energy intelligent lighting systems that use natural daylight instead of artificial lighting whenever possible.

The first stage of the project, the Outpatient Building, is on schedule to open in 2026. The inpatient building will open in 2029.

The construction phase is expected to create hundreds of jobs and add $429 million to the local economy.

During the ceremony mana whenua, Ministry of Health, Southern District Health Board and Community Health Council representatives contributed items to a time capsule, created by Farra Engineering Ltd, that will be buried beneath the new hospital.

The contents of the time capsule include:

  • An ipu bowl for maukoroa paint, supplied by mana whenua, to represent the significance and importance of the building
  • A Toroa (albatross) feather, supplied by mana whenua
  • COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) supplied by Minister of Health Andrew Little, to represent that we are currently in the COVID-19 pandemic  
  • Central Otago schist from Clutha River, to represent the wider Otago Region that will benefit from the hospital. Supplied by Senior Responsible Owner Helen Telford (Ministry of Health)
  • An 1800s Carew bottle supplied by Pete Hodgson, Chair of the Southern District Health Board (unearthed by New Zealand Heritage Properties)
  • A list of the Community Health Council members, supplied by Chair Karen Browne
  • A drawing of a dream hospital (including a Pokemon Arena) designed by seven-year-old Tama Russell-Sullivan
  • COVID-19 pandemic experiences written by Southern District Health Board staff
  • A selection of recent compliments sent to Southern District Health Board staff by patients and whānau
  • A 1737 ‘Need to Talk’ pin supplied by Labour MP David Clark
  • Hand sanitiser, supplied by Labour MP Ingrid Leary
  • Contemporary currency: $2, $1, 50c, 20c and 10c coins
  • A magnet with pāua Toroa from the Dunedin Visitor’s Centre
  • Brochures from the Dunedin Visitor’s Centre
  • A copy of the Otago Daily Times pages from May 5, 2018, with the front-page story ‘Support in South’ about our new hospital
  • A wooden ‘crunchie bar’ from Crunchie Mountain in the old Cadbury building