18 June 2012

Media Release

Seismic testing to continue on Grey Hospital site

Drilling equipment will move on to the Grey Base Hospital site this week to begin seismic testing of the land.

David Meates, chief executive of the West Coast DHB says, “The testing is part of information gathering for the business case being prepared for the Grey Base Hospital redevelopment.

“Feedback from consultation with community members, hospital staff and other health professionals has helped shape the business case.

“The business case seeks to obtain funding from the government to re-develop the core of Grey Base Hospital, and determine the location and facility options for a Greymouth based Integrated Family Health Service (IFHS).The IFHS is essentially a one-stop-health-shop providing easily accessible healthcare and co-ordinated general practice, community nursing and community allied health and mental health services, as well as upgrading the hospital.

“In July the business case will be sent to the National Health Board’s Capital Investment Committee seeking approval to develop a ‘detailed business case’. If they agree, this ‘detailed business case’ will be prepared in the second half of this year. If that gets the green light early next year, the refurbishment and rebuild of parts of Grey Base Hospital will take place,” says Mr Meates.

Wayne Lawson, Canterbury District Health Board Construction, Property Manager, who is leading this work for West Coast DHB says the drilling helps to identify subsurface soil conditions and structure, soil bearing capacity, its susceptibility to liquefaction in a major earthquake, and inform decisions on options to remediate it if necessary.

The contract for the seismic testing has been let to Tonkin and Taylor and the firm will be drilling bore holes to take soil samples at various locations near the hospital, near the airstrip, at the top of the escarpment, and also to the northeast end of the site.

“This geotechnical data provides essential design information for the structural engineers to use when preparing their design for the foundations of buildings on the site,” Mr Lawson says.

As well as taking soil samples, the firm will undertake penetrometer testing, a method which uses resistance to assess the strength of the ground.

Mr Lawson says the equipment is essentially a truck with a drilling rig on the back and is expected to be on site for three to four days. Contractors will be endeavouring to keep disruption to traffic and parking to a minimum.

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