Buller Health Facilities – Updates

A virtual fly-through of the new Buller Health Facility from West Coast District Health Board on Vimeo.

Please attribute to David Meates, Chief Executive

West Coast DHB’s Board endorsed the final Buller Health facility concept design at their Friday, 10 May meeting. The final design incorporates changes requested by user groups following re-engagement with Buller staff by the design team and West Coast DHB Facilities Redevelopment team earlier this month.

The concept design incorporates a new roof layout which the project architects and engineers worked on during the re-engagement phase. The new roof layout provides additional space within the footprint of the main hospital allowing for the utility areas and storage spaces previously in an ‘out-building’ to be accommodated within the facility itself.

The final floor plan is now 2,290m² and includes all services, storage spaces and utility areas located within the facility itself. The previous iteration of the Buller Health Centre floor plan had a floor size of 2213m² with an additional 68m² utility building (total 2,281m2), which included storage spaces and utility areas.

The facilities mock-up room space is expected to be established mid-year in an existing building which is a large utility shed/garage on the Buller Health campus. The space will have moveable walls, or tape on the floor to indicate the space available to perform certain tasks.

The proximity to the existing facility will allow Buller staff to fully engage in the next phases of preliminary, developed and detailed design. There will be a number of opportunities for staff, patients/consumers and the wider community to ‘test’ the layout of the various rooms to ensure that they are functional and fit for purpose. We anticipate that the design will be completed by October 2019.

Construction registration of interest will be sought during September 2019 with the construction contract to be let in January 2020. Demolition and construction associated with the new facility is expected to take 550 days with occupation of the new facility expected by September 2021.

ENDS

• External images displayed above this article – please note these are artist’s impression only and are subject to change.
• The current floor plan can be viewed online – https://www.wcdhb.health.nz/about-us/document-library/8880-buller-integrated-health-floor-plan-wcdhb-revision-b/

Please attribute to David Meates, Chief Executive

Following approval and confirmation of both the site and importantly, the funding of the new Buller Health Centre, responsibility for this project was transferred back to the West Coast DHB from the Ministry of Health in December.

Since the beginning of the year, we have been working to progress the transfer of legal documentation which will allow us to confirm project consultants, such as architects and engineers. The consultants will be responsible for the ongoing design and delivery of the Buller Health project and we expect to be able to confirm this detail by late March 2019.

Once the consultants are on board, user groups will be re-engaged as we move into the next design phases of preliminary, developed and detailed. The Buller District Mayor, as the council-appointed representative for the design phase will participate in this process. Our clinical teams will be consulted to help bring to life a more detailed plan of how the various clinical spaces will look and interact with each other.

The design phase will include the use of a ‘mock-up’ space with moveable walls, or tape on the floor to indicate the space available to perform certain tasks. There will be a number of opportunities for staff, patients/consumers and the wider community to ‘test’ the layout of the various rooms to ensure that they are functional and fit for purpose. We anticipate that the design will be completed by October 2019.

Construction registration of interest will be sought during September 2019 with the construction contract to be let in January 2020. Demolition and construction associated with the new facility is expected to take 550 days with planned occupation of the new facility expected by September 2021.

West Coast DHB has appointed Tom Cunningham as the Project Manager to lead the development. Tom will be supported by the Programme Director Construction and Property at Canterbury DHB with the West Coast Partnership Group continuing to provide oversight.

ENDS

The current floor plans have a floor size of 2213m² with an additional 68m² utility building. You can view the floor plan here. Note, as the design progresses through the various stages, these plans are likely to change.

A report summarising community feedback on the draft concept plans for the proposed health facility for Westport has been produced.

Community Feedback Report

The report identifies five main themes in the feedback:

• Theme 1 – Lack of consultation
• Theme 2 – Local involvement and leadership
• Theme 3 – Not enough beds for palliative, respite and maternity care
• Theme 4 – More aged residential care
• Theme 5 – A dedicated, private and secure mental health area

This feedback will be shared with the Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, West Coast Partnership Group members, West Coast DHB Board members and local MP for West Coast-Tasman, Hon. Damien O’Connor.

Once feedback has been considered and discussed with the health planners, architects and user groups further amendments may be made to the next version of the plans.

Community feedback is welcome throughout the process – please email newfacilities@wcdhb.health.nz

Have your say on the latest draft concept plans for the new Buller Health facility.

We welcome your feedback on the layout of the floor plan and the site – Pakington Street, or the current Buller Health site.

Please tell us what you think before Friday 20 April.

Feedback can be emailed to newfacilities@wcdhb.health.nz

If you’d like a printed copy of the latest draft concept plan, or to see a large-size copy of the plans, these are on display in the reception area at Buller Health.

There are post-it notes and pens available there so you can write down your comments and stick them on the plans.

Plans can also be seen at Damien O’Connor’s Electorate Office in Buller: 208A Palmerston St, Westport.

If you’re on facebook, ‘like’ our page WCDHB Careers as we’ll be posting updates there as the project progresses.

On our facebook page you can also view video footage – in three separate posts – of the public meeting held at the NBS Theatre on Thursday 5 April.

View a copy of the presentation from 5 April.

Thanks for taking the time to tell us what you think.