Health Minister Tony Ryall says all district health boards will be asked to consider public-private partnerships, or PPPs, for future hospital building projects.
Mr Ryall has given the Canterbury District Health Board the go-ahead to plan the rebuilding of Christchurch and Burwood hospitals.
He has told them to sound out what opportunities exist for a PPP to build the new facilities.
"We will be wanting all district health boards that have very, very significant capital projects to look at options around public-private parternships," Mr Ryall says, adding that PPP arrangements would apply only to the building, maintenance and administrative features of a hospital, not its core public health services.
The minister says the Government is already proceeding with PPPs for prisons and schools, and hospital buildings should be considered as well.
Mary Wilson interviews Tony Ryall