Hanmer hospital closing opposed

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 25

Hanmer hospital closing opposed

If the Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs, was closed it would be a considerable loss to the district and to the South Island, it was claimed at the November meeting of the Amuri County Council.

These comments were made when councillors expressed concern about reports that the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) had said the hospital might be closed. The County Clerk (Mr B. J. Peters) will write to the Minister seeking more information.

“It would be a terrific loss to the district if we lost the hospital at Hanmer Springs . . . Business would suffer,” said Cr M. F. Uren. “It is rather ridiculous to talk of scrapping a job of that value,” said the chair man (Mr A. A. Macfariane) after the meeting had been given the Government valuation for the hospital. The capita] value of all the hospital buildings and grounds was given as $872,000 and that for the hospital itself as $832,950. The hospital employed a staff of 128, said Cr A. A. Munro, commenting on the

importance of the hospital to the district. Other speakers said the hospital generated trade for the town. Many visitors went there because of the hospital. Apart from the comment that the appropriate authorities would try to “sell it for the best price they could get,” there were no suggestions about what could be done with the buildings if the hospital was closed. It would be wasting the taxpayers’ money if they closed an asset of that value, said Mr Peters. Others held that the repercussions for Hanmer Springs, and on the whole of the South Island, from the closing of the hospital would be considerable. Closing might jeopardise the finances of the Hanmer Springs water and sewer schemes. The council had planned for the hospital to continue and it would be a big loss, said Cr Uren.