Matt Doocey, MP for Waimakariri

Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey has today taken out a full page advertisement in his local paper, calling on South Link Health Services to build Rangiora’s after-hours health facility – or back out and let another provider take on the contract.

Doocey said the facility was long overdue and desperately needed, and the community had been patient enough.

“Let’s face it, we were promised this facility back in 2109 and yet here we are, six years later and with no evidence anything has progressed at all.”

Doocey has been instrumental in the battle for after-hours in North Canterbury, having initially been involved in a petition with constituents David and the late Sandi McLean. The petition amassed 10,500 signatures and was presented to the then-CDHB.

The proposal was approved the following year, with the Minister of Health agreeing to lease land to South Link Health for the project.

With the consents in place last year, Doocey said it was baffling to still see no action on-site.

“We’ve been told the project is ‘still on track’ for years now, but I fail to see how this can still be true when we had been promised an opened facility by 2021, then 2024.

“Here we are in 2025 and I suspect we won’t have a health facility opened any time this year either.”

Adding to the community’s frustration with delays dragging the project out, people had no idea what was going on, he said.

“Residents are asking me on a weekly basis what is happening, but we are all none the wiser because nobody is fronting up and telling us what the problem is.

“We’ve had Covid, we’ve had other delays, and we’ve waited patiently ever since, but now I think the community deserves to hear from South Link Health.

“If they can’t build it, for whatever reason, then they need to hand it over to someone who will.”

© Scoop Media