Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health

Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced funding of more than $14 million to replace the main water supply and ring mains in the main building of Auckland City Hospital.

“Addressing the domestic hot water system at the country’s largest hospital, which opened in 2003, is vitally important to ensure reliable water support in Auckland City Hospital and follows recent failures.

“The over 20-year-old pipes are in poor condition, and the current design means burst pipes cannot be turned off without also switching off the hot water supply to the whole building.

“This system has already failed twice in the past six months, most recently on 26 January 2025, when the entire hot water supply had to be shut off to repair an isolated leak.

“Fixing this problem is a priority for me as access to hot water in hospital is a basic necessity for both patients and staff, and the day-to-day running of clinical services.

“That’s why I have approved funding to replace the main supply line and ring mains – the first of three stages to replace the existing piping with copper pipes. The first phase of work is expected to take place over 13 months with a carefully planned approach that will minimise disruptions to clinical care.

“The Government’s record $16.68 billion in funding for health will help ensure Kiwis have access to timely, quality healthcare in hospitals that have fit-for-purpose infrastructure,” Mr Brown says.

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