Work has now begun on alterations to Wānaka’s future primary birthing unit.

Te Whatu Ora purchased a six-bedroom lodge in Albert Town with plans to quickly convert it into a birthing unit for Wānaka families in June 2022.

Close to 18 months later, renovation work has finally begun.

“In early October, demolition of some interior walls and removal of interior fixtures began,” Te Whatu Ora southern midwifery director Karen Ferraccioli told the Wānaka App. 

“We have also started procuring the necessary equipment for the primary birthing unit.”

Despite work having started, the anticipated opening date for the unit has been pushed back again. 

Karen said she now expects the building to be operational mid-2024.

In its most recent update in September, Te Whatu Ora had an anticipated opening of the first quarter of 2024, and in May it was hoping to open it by the end of 2023.

At the time the lodge was purchased, Te Whatu Ora - which at that time was the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) had anticipated the opening in July this year.

The delays to the birthing unit have been associated with the move from SDHB to Te Whatu Ora, as the project team had to adapt to new guidelines and a new regulatory environment.

Karen said “full construction” would commence by the end of November.

“During construction we will make some minor alterations to the building’s layout,” she said. 

“The major work lies in refitting the building's internal systems such as rewiring, plumbing, fire, mechanical/ventilation, and digital, along with the fit out of the interior spaces.”

Once finished, the facility will include one birthing room, four postnatal rooms, four antenatal clinic rooms and a birthing pool.

“Our dedicated team is working hard to bring this exciting new facility to the community,” Karen said.

The SDHB agreed to establish a primary birthing unit (which is equipped for supporting healthy women with no medical complications through labour, birth, and in-patient postnatal care) in Wānaka in June 2021.

The decision followed a long process and many years of advocacy from local groups, including local Lead Maternity Care (LMC) midwives and the Save Our Wānaka Midwives, in part because of the significant distance to the nearest primary birthing unit and hospital.

PHOTO: Wānaka App