The public march against the proposed cuts to Dunedin Hospital attracted more than 30,000 people, and cost about $37,025 to run. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
The Dunedin City Council is not ruling out boosting their hospital campaign coffers again, after retrospectively approving $146,000 to cover costs.
The Save Our Southern Hospital campaign kicked off last month after the government announced cuts, delays, and upgrading the old hospital site could be on the cards after a budget blow-out.
Last year, the council approved the equivalent of $1 per person in Dunedin - to a tune of $130,400 - to support their hospital campaign.
In a report to council, staff said council acted with urgently and informally committed to funding the latest round of campaigning after the government's announcement.
On Wednesday, they were asked to approve the $146,099 unbudgeted overspend - the equivalent of a $1.10 per resident.
Dunedin councillor Carmen Houlihan said it was vital they took a stand and campaigning was worth their coin.
"The amount of money here put aside for this is a drop in the ocean of what it would cost us if they don't give us the hospital they promised and a high enough standard to keep a tertiary hospital," she said.
"If we can't have a medical school in our city, that is like ripping the heart out of our city."
Marketing and publicity were the biggest costs, forecast to reach $52,590 with the public march which attracted more than 30,000 people costing about $37,025 to run.
Cliff the Ambulance was on target to cost $17,184, including branding, fuel, and other expenses while travelling around the lower South Island, and soon travelling to Wellington. About $8000 of that funding was set aside for the ambulance's trip to the capital.
Council chief executive Sandy Graham said they had usually try to absorb the costs this early on in the financial year, but budgets were extra tight this year.
"There is some contingency in some of those and we're wrangling costs as best we can. But if the campaign is to continue, it may require additional funds," she said.
Deputy mayor Cherry Lucas backed the campaign and its budget.
"I have the privilege of having a daughter who's a med student and she said to me: 'Mum, if you could see behind the scenes of what that current hospital is', she said: 'you would not only be shocked, you would be appalled'," Lucas said.
"She said: 'this decision can't keep stalling just because of the conditions that we are asking our health professionals to continue to work in day in day out'."
Councillor Marie Laufiso fell under a bus in 2019 and needed to stay overnight in the hospital, saying it opened her eyes about why the region needed a new hospital.
"People do not seem to perceive that it is life and death. It is already a health system that does not serve our people well and we have to fight," she said.
"We have to fight for everybody, not just Māori and Pasifika, but everybody, because everyone can tell you a story of how the health system has not served them."
Councillor Lee Vandervis backed the campaign spending.
"But I'm concerned that there is a fairly wide idea around the table here that somehow if we spend enough money it's going to give us a result."
It has been an effective campaign, but they had to consider other options if it ended up not having the desired impact rather than throw more money at it, he said.
He believed the campaign should be coming from the people.
"I am not keen on us accusing the government of cost cutting when they've added $300 million to the budget that was. I'm not keen on the idea that you can't put a dollar value on health and yet we are going to throw dollars at trying to get a bigger, better hospital."
But councillor Jim O'Malley believed they should make a stronger stand.
"I'm more than happy to support this. I really want to the gloves off and go full bore. But we're not doing that so at least we're doing this, and to not do this would be - well, I wouldn't want to face the ratepayer that I didn't even try."
The decision to approve the spend was unanimous along with noting that options would be explored to offset costs.
This funding took the campaign to November 6, but council staff said more would be needed to take it through to December 20.
The campaign had raised an estimated $10,221 between selling badges and shirts, fund-raising and sponsorship to help offset costs.
Cliff the ambulance is expected to hit the road to the capital on Friday to take the fight to the Beehive with some councillors saying they planned to protest on the steps outside.
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