Business

NZ must rethink funding for hospital infrastructure – Steven Joyce

OPINION: Private investors should be invited to build more of our health facilities.

THREE KEY FACTS The Government has released a 10-year plan for reviving the country’s health infrastructure. Health Minister Simeon Brown says $20 billion is needed to bring New Zealand’s health infrastructure up to scratch. Councils around the country have been dealing with ageing water pipes.

What do hospitals and water pipes have in common? It turns out the answer is “quite a lot” if you read the two documents released by Health Minister Simeon Brown this week. We have something like 1200 Government-owned hospital buildings, and his asset management report in particular tells a sad story of poor maintenance and upkeep..